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Living  Messages 

of  the 

Books  of  The  Bible, 


BY  THE  REV. 


G.  CAMPBELL  MORGAN,  D.  D. 
f 


GENESIS   TO  MALA  CHI 


NEW    YORK  CHICAGO  TORONTO 

Fleming      H.      Revell      Company 

LONDON  AND  EDINBURGH 


Copyright,  1912,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


Now  Complete  in  Two  Volumes 
izmo,  cloth,  each  $2.00 

The  Living  Messages 

of  the  Books  of  the  Bible 
By  G.  CAMPBELL  MORGAN,  D.D. 

Dr.  Morgan  here  presents  in  a  most  scholarly 
series  of  Expositions  the  truly  Spiritual  Messages 
or  Key-notes  of  each  of  the  separate  books  of  the 
Bible,  applying  their  various  messages  to  the  in- 
dividual, the  Church  and  the  nation  to-day  in  a 
practical  and  convincing  manner.  Carefully  ar- 
ranged detailed  charts  accompany  each  of  the 
sixty-six  divisions,  showing  their  essential  mes- 
sages and  applications. 


United  Presbyterian ;  "  They  are  messages 
from  God  to  man,  to  men  of  the  time  to  which 
they  were  written,  but  beyond  them  to  men  of 
every  age — messages  of  sin,  judgment,  divine 
love  and  salvation." 

VOL.  I.    GENESIS — MALACHI.    (Old  Testament 
Complete  in  One  Vol.) 

VOL.  II.    MATTHEW — REVELATION.    (New  Tes- 
tament Complete  in  One  Vol.) 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:  75  Princes  Street 


INTRODUCTION 

WITH  regard  to  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old 
Testament,  Paul  wrote,  "Whatsoever 
things  were  written  aforetime  were 
written  for  our  learning,  that  through  patience 
and  through  comfort  of  the  Scriptures  we  might 
have  hope." 

He  thus  clearly  revealed  the  true  mission  of 
these  sacred  writings  in  our  day,  as  he  declared 
that  they  "  were  written  for  our  learning,  that 

.  .  we  might  have  hope."  Their  mission 
is  that  of  teaching,  in  order  to  the  inspiration 
of  hope. 

This  view  of  the  value  of  the  Old  Testament 
Scriptures  reveals  a  most  important  conception 
of  their  nature.  The  apostle  did  not  suggest 
that  the  writers  of  olden  times  wrote  with  the 
men  of  later  ages  in  their  thought.  They  wrote 
for  their  own  age,  and  for  the  men  by  whom 
they  were  surrounded.  Nevertheless  the  apostle 
declared  that  these  things  were  written  for  us. 
It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  he  believed  that  be- 
hind the  authors  there  was  an  Author;  that 

i 


2  INTRODUCTION 

encompassing  the  minds  of  the  men  who  wrote 
in  different  places,  and  at  different  times,  was 
one  master  Mind  ;  and  that  this  Author  had  in 
view  not  only  the  age  in  which  these  things 
were  written,  but  all  successive  ages. 

The  peculiar  value  of  these  ancient  writings 
for  the  present  time  is  that  they  inspire  hope  in 
those  who  read.  Hope  is  an  attitude  of  mind 
in  the  midst  of  conflict,  danger,  and  difficulty. 
In  the  age  of  God's  ultimate  victory,  hope  will 
be  changed  into  sight  and  possession.  What  a 
man  sees,  he  no  longer  hopes  for.  The  sacred 
writings  of  the  Hebrew  people  contain  the 
stories  of  men  in  the  midst  of  conflict  and  peril, 
reveal  the  confidences  that  filled  them  with 
hope,  tell  of  the  victories  they  won,  of  the  de- 
feats they  suffered  ;  and  the  supreme  value  of 
these  Scriptures  is  that  they  create  hope  for 
those  who  are  still  upon  the  pilgrimage,  who 
are  still  in  the  thick  of  the  battle,  who  are  still 
carrying  on  the  work  of  building.  The  words 
and  works  of  God  in  ancient  times,  the  victories 
men  won,  and  the  defeats  they  suffered,  all 
serve  to  fill  the  heart  with  hope,  as  they  reveal 
the  way  of  victory,  and  utter  the  word  of  warn- 
ing. 


INTRODUCTION  3 

The  apostle  with  equal  clearness  revealed  the 
fnethod  by  which  the  Scriptures  of  the  old 
economy  fulfilled  this  mission.  This  is  indi- 
cated by  the  words  patience  and  comfort,  which 
with  equal  accuracy  might  be  rendered  endur- 
ance and  encouragement. 

The  meaning  of  endurance  is  perhaps  best 
illustrated  for  us  by  the  eleventh  chapter  of  the 
letter  to  the  Hebrews.  To  read  that  chapter 
is  to  pass  in  review  the  whole  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment Scriptures.  The  great  outstanding  names 
are  mentioned,  and  others  are  referred  to,  whose 
names  are  not  given.  Throughout  the  whole 
chapter,  faith  is  revealed  as  the  principle  of 
victory.  All  these  men  are  seen  passing 
through  circumstances  of  difficulty  and  of 
danger,  with  their  eyes  set  upon  an  ultimate 
purpose,  which  they  supremely  desired  to  be 
accomplished.  None  of  them  reached  the  ulti- 
mate goal,  but  they  died  contented,  having  seen 
it  from  afar,  and  having  endured,  in  their  move- 
ment towards  it,  "  as  seeing  Him  Who  is  in- 
visible." The  final  declaration  of  the  chapter 
shows  that  the  men  of  faith  to-day  are  in  the 
same  process.  Referring  to  those  named,  the 
writer  said,  "  These  all,  having  had  witness 


4  INTRODUCTION 

borne  to  them  through  their  faith,  received  not 
the  promise,  God  having  provided  some  better 
thing  concerning  us,  that  apart  from  us  they 
should  not  be  made  perfect."  Thus  the  things 
written  aforetime  produce  in  the  minds  of  those 
who  are  continuing  the  conflict  the  quality  of 
endurance. 

The  word  encouragement  is  perhaps  even 
more  full  of  suggestiveness.  It  is  closely  allied 
to  the  word  in  the  New  Testament  which  is  used 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  word  Paraclete.  All  the 
spacious  value  of  the  word  Paraclete,  as  used  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  is  contained  in  the  word  encour- 
agement when  used  in  reference  to  the  Scriptures 
of  truth.  It  suggests  appeal  and  advocacy. 
The  things  written  aforetime  make  their  per- 
petual appeal  to  men  as  they  advocate  the  true 
principle  of  life  in  the  midst  of  conflict. 

To  summarize,  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old 
Testament  were  written  by  many  men  in  varied 
circumstances.  These  men  were  thinking  in  all 
probability,  for  the  most  part,  of  their  own  age. 
They  wrote  songs  of  their  own  sorrows  and 
aspirations.  They  wrote  the  history  of  their 
own  times,  declaring  the  faults  and  sins  of  the 
people,  as  well  as  their  victories.  These  things 


INTRODUCTION  5 

they  wrote  for  their  own  age.  That,  however, 
is  not  all  the  story.  Encompassing  them,  teach- 
ing, guiding,  instructing,  was  the  One  Who 
knew  all  the  ages,  and  saw  the  long  process 
clearly  to  the  consummation ;  and  therefore 
they  contain  living  messages  to  us.  In  these 
writings  of  the  old  economy  the  final  message 
is  not  to  be  found,  "  God,  having  of  old  time 
spoken  unto  the  fathers  in  the  prophets  by 
divers  portions  and  in  divers  manners,  hath 
at  the  end  of  these  days  spoken  unto  us  in  His 
Son."  The  final  message  is  the  word  of  the 
Son,  and  in  it  all  those  of  the  past  merge  into 
perfect  harmony  ;  yet  these  things  written  afore- 
time help  us  to  understand  more  perfectly  the 
all-inclusive  message  of  the  Son. 

From  this  general  study  we  may  now  make 
certain  deductions  which  will  have  a  direct  bear- 
ing upon  this  series  of  studies  in  the  messages 
of  the  Old  Testament. 

As  to  origin  we  believe  the  Old  Testament 
Scriptures  to  be  human  in  workmanship,  but 
Divine  in  compulsion.  The  holy  men  of  old 
wrote  with  perfect  naturalness  things  of  their 
own  age,  but  they  wrote  better  and  more  com- 
prehensively than  they  knew.  Any  careful  study 


6  INTRODUCTION 

of  the  New  Testament  will  show  how  these  writers 
perpetually  quoted  from  the  Old  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  show  that  its  statements  were  more  full 
of  meaning  than  the  men  who  wrote  them  knew. 
The  quotation  immediately  preceding  the  pas- 
sage which  we  have  been  considering  is  a  re- 
markable illustration  of  this  fact.  "The  re- 
proaches of  them  that  reproached  thee  fell  upon 
me  "  was  a  human  statement  describing  a  then 
present  experience.  Yet  the  writer  was  guided, 
perhaps  all  unconsciously,  by  the  great  master 
Mind,  in  order  that  ultimately  the  final  and 
supreme  suffering  should  be  more  perfectly 
understood.  Wherever  there  is  Divine  com- 
pulsion behind  human  workmanship,  that  work- 
manship becomes  more  than  human  ;  it  is  Divine. 
As  to  history,  we  believe  the  Old  Testament  to 
be  accurate  in  statement  and  faithful  in  presenta- 
tion. Again,  to  take  one  illustration,  we  believe 
that  the  Hebrew  race,  which,  having  lost  its 
nationality,  has  never  been  overwhelmed  by,  or 
absorbed  into,  other  races,  sprang  from  that  one 
man  who  was  the  friend  of  God,  and  who  at  His 
call  went  forth  from  his  own  land  a  pilgrim  of 
faith.  We  moreover  believe  that  the  present 
"scattered  and  peeled  "  condition  of  that  race  is 


INTRODUCTION  7 

the  direct  outcome  of  the  sins  and  failures 
chronicled  accurately  and  faithfully  in  the  Old 
Testament. 

As  to  religion,  we  believe  the  Old  Testament 
to  be  a  foreshadowing  of,  and  process  towards, 
the  ultimate  revelation  which  is  contained  in  the 
New  Testament.  Christ  Himself  is  the  Goal 
towards  which  all  the  religious  thinking  of  the 
Old  Testament  Scriptures  moves.  Finality  in 
religion  is  not  found  in  the  things  written  afore- 
time. The  symbolism  of  the  ancient  worship  is 
a  foreshadowing  of  that  which  is  to  come  after. 
The  messages  of  the  prophets  and  psalmists  are 
whispers  which  merge  into  perfect  music  only 
when  the  Son  Who  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father 
declares  the  God  Who  has  never  been  seen. 
All  the  highways  through  the  centuries  lead  on 
towards  the  city,  but  the  city  itself,  the  city  of 
God,  can  only  be  built  by  the  King  Himself. 
From  the  darkness,  through  the  twilight,  men 
moved  towards  the  perfect  light.  Through  all 
the  ages  God  followed  His  perpetual  method, 
line  upon  line,  precept  upon  precept,  here  a  little 
and  there  a  little.  Through  all  the  centuries  He 
said  in  effect  to  men  what  Christ  actually  said  to 
His  disciples  :  "  I  have  yet  many  things  to  say 


8  INTRODUCTION 

unto  you,  but  ye  cannot  bear  them  now."  Thus, 
quietly  and  surely,  if  slowly,  God  moved  on  to 
the  final  Word,  Who  was  made  flesh.  We  do 
not  go  back  to  the  Old  Testament  to  find  the 
religion  of  to-day.  We  do  go  to  it  to  discover 
the  highways  which  led  to  finality  in  religion. 

As  to  value,  we  therefore  believe  the  Old 
Testament  Scriptures  to  be  a  revelation  of  God 
and  man  preparatory  to  the  final  revelation  of  the 
New.  To  read  the  Old  Testament  writings  from 
Genesis  to  Malachi,  and  to  have  no  acquaintance 
with  the  New,  is  still  to  be  imperfectly  acquainted 
with  God  and  man. 

At  the  heart  of  the  Old  Testament  may  be 
found  the  insignificant  "  What  is  man  ?  "  At  the 
heart  of  the  New  is  the  great  exclamation,  "  Be- 
hold the  Man."  Yet  the  Old  is  of  value  as  it  re- 
veals clearly  the  true  principle  of  human  life,  the 
real  reason  of  human  sorrow,  all  the  highways 
that  lead  towards  human  redemption. 

So  also  the  revelation  of  God  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment is  valuable,  but  incomplete.  He  is  in- 
troduced by  the  simple  statement  of  His  infinite 
Majesty  as  Creator.  In  the  presence  of  that  first 
statement  man  stands  a  submissive  worshipper, 
but  yet  without  any  intimate  knowledge  of  God 


INTRODUCTION  9 

The  Word  must  become  flesh,  must  be  seen,  be 
looked  upon,  be  handled,  be  touched,  ere  man 
will  know  God. 

The  chief  value  of  the  revelation  of  man  and  of 
God  in  the  Old  Testament  is  that  it  makes  per- 
fectly clear  man's  need  for  God,  and  God's 
method  with  man.  Yet  it  leaves  us  crying  with 
Job  for  a  "  Daysman  "  able  to  put  His  hand  upon 
man  in  his  helplessness,  and  upon  God  in  His 
holiness,  and  make  them  both  one. 

Recognizing  these  values  and  limitations  of  the 
Old  Testament  Scriptures,  we  proceed  to  our 
study,  upon  the  assumption  that  every  book  has 
some  direct  and  living  message  having  applica- 
tion not  to  its  own  age  merely,  but  to  every  suc- 
ceeding one.  The  principles  abide ;  their  ap- 
plications vary  with  the  varying  ages.  We 
desire,  then,  in  our  new  series  to  discover  in  each 
book  the  central  truth,  and  to  make  application 
of  it  to  the  age  in  which  we  live.  The  method 
to  be  followed,  therefore,  will  be  that  of  stating 
the  permanent  values,  and  from  these  deducing 
the  living  message. 


OLD  TESTAMENT 

BOOK  ONE 
CONTENTS 

THE  MESSAGE  OF— 

GENESIS 13 

EXODUS        ..;...  29 

LEVITICUS 47 

NUMBERS 65 

DEUTERONOMY          ....  83 

JOSHUA 99 

JUDGES 117 

RUTH 133 

I  SAMUEL    ....  147 


CONTENTS 
THE  MESSAGE  OF- 

II.  SAMUEL 161 

I.  KINGS 177 

II.  KINGS 193 

I.  CHRONICLES 209 

II.  CHRONICLES         ....  223 

EZRA 237 

NEHEMIAH 251 

ESTHER  267 


THE  MESSAGE   OF   GENESIS 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  Theology 

The  Science  of  God. 

II.  Cosmogony 

The  Science  of  the  Universe. 

III.  Anthropology 

The  Science  of  Man. 

IV.  Sociology 

The  Science  of  Society. 

V.  Hamartiology 

The  Science  of  Sin. 

VI.  Ethnology 

The  Science  of  Races. 
VII.  Soteriology 

The  Science  of  Salvation. 

NOTE. — These  subjects  are  dealt  with 
in  Genesis  fundamentally,  and  not 
finally. 


I.  God  and  Man  are  Intimately  related 

i.  God  created  Man  in  His  own  Image, 
ii.  God   governs   Man   for   Man's  own 

Good, 
iii.  God  loves  Man. 


II.  Man  realizes  his  own  Life  by  Faith  ID 
God 

i.  Faith  the  simple  Law  of  Life, 
ii.  Failure  in  Faith  is  Failure  in  Life, 
iii.  Faith  may  differ  in  expression. 

Abraham,  Obedient. 

Isaac,         Passive. 

Jacob,        Restless. 


NOTE. — Faith  is  the  basis  upon  which 
God  can  work  out  His  will  in  man, 
and  man  can  work  out  his  salvation 
from  God. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  GENESIS 

IT  is  perpetually  being  asked  to-day  whether 
there  are  any  permanent  values  in  the  book 
of  Genesis.  In  the  light  of  later  revelation 
is  there  any  reason  for  retaining  this  book,  ex- 
cept, perhaps,  that  of  interest  in  an  ancient  writ- 
ing which  has  yet  no  vital  relationship  to  our 
own  times  ?  In  answer  to  that  enquiry  it  may 
at  once  be  stated  that  the  whole  system  of  the 
Christian  religion  depends  upon  the  accuracy  of 
certain  statements  made  in  this  book.  Without 
them  that  system  is  an  erection  without  a  foun- 
dation, conclusions  without  premises.  These 
declarations,  at  once  the  simplest  and  the  pro- 
foundest  in  the  book,  constitute  its  permanent 
values,  not  merely  because  all  subsequent  Scrip- 
ture depends  upon  them ;  but  also  because  it 
there  were  no  other  writings,  these  statements 
supply  us  with  answers  to  questions  which  must 
arise  to  the  thinking  mind. 

The  permanent  values  may  be  stated  briefly 
and  concisely,  in  order  that  the  living  message 

13 


14  THE  MESSAGE  OF  GENESIS 

may  be  deduced  therefrom.  There  can  be  little 
doubt  that  there  are  very  many  people  who  have 
no  particular  desire  to  destroy  the  book  of  Gene- 
sis, who  are  interested  in  it  as  a  collection  of 
stories,  having  been  familiar  with  it  from  child- 
hood, who  have,  nevertheless,  never  realized  of 
what  vital  importance  it  is,  and  how  much  it  con- 
tains of  supreme  value. 

Its  values  may  thus  be  technically  tabulated. 
The  book  contains  the  foundation  truths  of  the- 
ology, cosmogony,  anthropology,  sociology, 
hamartiology,  ethnology,  soteriology.  These 
words  are  used  with  the  express  purpose  of  indi- 
cating the  profound  conviction  that  Genesis  is 
preeminently  a  scientific  book.  None  of  these 
subjects  are  dealt  with  finally,  but  all  are  pre- 
sented fundamentally.  Genesis  supplies  men 
with  the  rudiments  of  the  science  of  God.  It 
offers  a  theory  of  the  origin  of  the  universe.  It 
says  the  first  thing  concerning  the  science  of  maa 
It  lays  the  foundations  of  the  science  of  society. 
It  reveals  the  simplest  matters  of  the  science  of 
sin.  It  introduces  the  study  of  the  science  of 
races.  Finally,  it  presents  the  initial  truths  con- 
cerning the  science  of  salvation. 

The  essential  value  of  the  book  is  the  funda- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  GENESIS  15 

mental  character  of  its  teaching  on  all  these  mat- 
ters. Its  declarations  meet  us  at  the  point  where 
knowledge,  proceeding  along  the  line  of  investi- 
gation, fails  ;  and  present  truths  undiscovered  by 
investigation.  Investigation  is  a  perfectly  proper 
exercise  of  the  human  mind.  All  that  men  are 
doing  in  their  attempt  to  discover  the  underlying 
secrets  of  nature  and  life  is  in  harmony  with  the 
purpose  of  God  in  the  creation  of  human  intel- 
lect. It  is  nevertheless  conceded  that  man  ever 
arrives  at  a  point  beyond  which  he  is  unable  to 
go.  It  is  at  this  point  that  Genesis  speaks  in 
the  terms  of  revelations  made  to  man,  rather 
than  a  record  of  discoveries  made  by  man- 
Processes  and  consummations  will  be  dealt  with 
in  subsequent  revelation,  or  discovered  by  fur- 
ther investigation.  To  possess  the  book  of 
Genesis  alone  is  not  to  be  acquainted  with  the 
final  truth  on  any  of  the  subjects  named.  It  is 
to  have  the  initial  word  which  no  subsequent 
discoveries  contradict,  and  without  which  all 
later  declarations  are  meaningless.  In  order  to 
illustrate  this  let  us  pass  over  the  ground  in 
briefest  statement  by  enquiring  what  the  book 
supplies  in  each  department,  and  what  are  the 
things  lacking. 


16  THE  MESSAGE  OF  GENESIS 

As  to  theology.  Genesis  presents  God  as 
Creator,  King,  and  determined  Redeemer ;  and 
upon  these  fundamental  facts  all  Christian  the- 
ology depends.  The  nature  of  God  is  not  re- 
vealed. His  methods  are  not  declared.  His 
ultimate  purpose  is  not  stated. 

As  to  cosmogony.  Genesis  declares  that  the 
whole  universe  has  come  into  being  by  the  will 
and  act  of  God.  The  hall-mark  of  the  Divine 
handiwork  is  upon  every  blade  of  grass  and  upon 
every  flaming  constellation.  Nothing  is  stated 
in  detail  concerning  the  process  of  creation,  or  the 
period  occupied,  or  the  ultimate  purpose. 

As  to  anthropology.  Genesis  teaches  that 
man  is  a  mingling  of  dust  and  Deity  by  the  will 
and  act  of  God  ;  a  being  placed  under  authority, 
and  having  dominion  over  all  things  beneath 
him :  a  being  responsible,  therefore,  to  God. 
Nothing  is  said  concerning  the  laws  which  regu- 
late the  interaction  of  the  physical  and  the 
psychical.  Nothing  is  declared  concerning  man's 
ultimate  destiny. 

As  to  sociology.  Genesis  reveals  the  truth 
that  the  first  circle  of  society  is  the  family,  based 
upon  the  marriage  relationship  ;  and  that  the 
true  nation  is  made  up  of  families  which  rec- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  GENESIS  17 

ognize  their  inter-responsibility  under  the 
Divine  government.  The  application  of  these 
principles  to  varied  and  complex  conditions  is 
not  to  be  found  in  this  book. 

As  to  hamartiology.  Genesis  affirms  that  sin 
in  the  case  of  man  is  failure  of  faith  in  the  good- 
ness of  God,  and  consequent  rebellion  against 
His  government.  The  ultimate  issues  of  sin  in 
individual  destiny  are  not  declared. 

As  to  ethnology.  Genesis  records  the  break- 
up of  the  unity  of  the  race,  following  upon  an 
attempted  confederacy  of  godlessness.  The 
ultimate  issue  in  its  scattering  is  not  described. 

As  to  soteriology.  Genesis  makes  it  perfectly 
plain  that  human  salvation  must  come  from 
God,  and  through  man.  In  whispers  and 
symbols  and  shadows,  man  is  taught  that  hav- 
ing sinned,  his  only  hope  is  that  God  will  be  his 
Redeemer.  Nothing  is  distinctly  said  concern- 
ing the  method  or  finality. 

To  deny  the  accuracy  of  these  fundamental 
statements  is  to  lose  the  meaning  of  all  sub- 
sequent teaching.  If  God  is  not  Creator,  King, 
and  Redeemer,  there  is  no  resting  place  for  man 
other  than  the  restlessness  of  agnosticism.  On 
the  way  to  agnosticism,  human  speculations 


i8  THE  MESSAGE  OF  GENESIS 

may  retain  the  name  of  religion  ;  but  the  logical 
outcome  of  the  denial  of  these  fundamental  as- 
sertions concerning  God  is  denial  of  the  exist- 
ence of  God. 

To  deny  what  this  book  teaches  concerning 
the  origin  of  the  universe  is  to  be  compelled  to 
attempt  to  account  for  the  things  seen  by  some 
undefined  action  and  interaction  within  the 
universe,  which  has  behind  it  no  personality. 

To  deny  that  man  is  a  mysterious  mingling  of 
dust  and  Deity  by  the  will  and  act  of  God  is 
necessarily  to  be  compelled  to  think  of  him  as 
the  last  product  of  animal  evolution  ;  and  there- 
fore as  himself  an  animal,  and  nothing  more. 

If  the  teaching  be  denied  that  human  society 
is  founded  on  the  family,  and  based  upon  the 
marriage  relationship,  then  sociology  becomes 
chaotic,  and  spurious  socialism  denies  the 
sanctity  of  or  necessity  for  the  marriage  relation- 
ship. 

If  the  teaching  be  incorrect  that  sin  is  rebel- 
lion against  God,  based  upon  unbelief,  then 
necessarily  the  terms  in  which  it  has  been 
described  by  the  Christian  faith  must  be  modi- 
fied, until  eventually  it  is  declared  to  be  non- 
existent, none  other  than  the  under  side  of  good 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  GENESIS  19 

Failure  to  accept  the  teaching  that  national 
divisions  are  finally  the  outcome  of  a  false  at- 
tempt at  unity,  based  upon  self-sufficient  rebel- 
lion against  God,  must  ultimately  result  in  affirm- 
ing those  divisions  to  be  good  which,  neverthe- 
less, have  been  productive  of  all  wars  and  kindred 
evils. 

To  deny  the  suggestions  concerning  human 
salvation  as  possible  only  through  the  interven- 
tion of  God  is  ultimately  to  abandon  the  idea  of 
salvation  as  either  unnecessary  or  altogether 
impossible. 

There  is  a  sense  in  which  these  things  do  not 
constitute  the  message  of  this  book  to  our  own 
age,  although  they  do  constitute  its  permanent 
values.  For  the  sake  of  argument,  let  us  sup- 
pose that  this  book  is  the  only  inspired  word 
ever  given  to  man.  What  is  its  ultimate  mes- 
sage? It  teaches  with  unvarying  definiteness 
first,  the  immediate  relation  between  God  and 
man ;  and  secondly,  that  the  great  principle  for 
the  realization  of  human  life  is  such  faith  in  God 
as  expresses  itself  in  obedience  to  His  throne. 

This  book  of  first  things  declares  the  imme- 
diate relation  between  God  and  man.  It  is  per- 
*ectly  true  that  subsequent  books  state  this  more 


20  THE  MESSAGE  OF  GENESIS 

fully,  and  deal  with  it  more  explicitly.  When 
we  pass  from  the  sublime  stateliness  of  these 
original  statements,  through  the  giving  of  the 
law,  the  establishing  of  worship  ;  through  the 
thunder  of  the  prophets,  and  the  wailing  minor 
threnody  of  their  pleadings  with  humanity ;  and 
still  on  to  the  matchless  and  final  splendour  of 
the  brief  words  spoken  by  the  Man  of  Galilee ; 
through  the  unveiling  of  the  meaning  of  these 
words  by  the  Spirit,  in  the  apostolic  writings,  we 
find  this  truth  wrought  out  in  greater  detail  and 
with  mightier  force.  Nevertheless,  all  that  the 
law  indicated,  all  that  the  prophets  enforced,  all 
that  Jesus  said,  and  all  that  the  apostles  ex- 
pounded, depend  absolutely  for  accuracy  upon 
the  teaching  of  this  truth  as  contained  in  this 
book.  If  that  first  fact  of  man's  relationship  to 
God  is  not  established,  then  everything  that  fol- 
lowed was  false  dreaming,  mistaken  enthusiasm, 
or  mischievous  vapourizing. 

Remembering  the  three  main  divisions  of  the 
book,  as  indicated  in  the  study  of  its  content, 
Generation,  Degeneration,  Regeneration,  it  is  at 
once  evident  that  the  supreme  message  every- 
where is  that  God  has  to  do  with  man  ;  man  has 
to  do  with  God.  In  the  first  division  we  see  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  GENESIS  21 

story  of  creation,  tracing  everything  from  the 
material  order  to  man,  and  then  describing  man 
as  to  his  nature  and  office  ;  and  behind  all  the 
processes  of  creation  suggested,  God  is  declared  ; 
and  immediately  presiding  over  the  final  move- 
ment by  which  man  appears,  God  is  seen.  That 
is  the  first  great  truth.  Man  is  related  to  God, 
for  He  created  him,  and  He  alone  perfectly  un- 
derstands him,  and  consequently  He  only  can 
govern  him.  The  message  of  Genesis  to  our 
own  age  is,  first  of  all,  that  of  man's  immediate 
relation  to  God.  We  need  Genesis  because  it  is 
difficult  sometimes  to  believe  that  any  such  rela- 
tion exists.  We  look  into  the  faces  of  men  and 
women,  the  flotsam  and  jetsam  of  our  great 
cities,  at  both  ends  of  the  social  scale,  and  there 
seems  to  be  no  trace  of  Deity.  If  in  that  state- 
ment there  seems  to  be  something  of  personal 
satisfaction,  it  is  by  no  means  intended.  There- 
fore let  a  personal  word  be  spoken.  To  look 
into  one's  own  heart  is  to  find  it  most  difficult  to 
believe  that  man  is  "  offspring  of  God."  Never- 
theless, when  this  book  affirms  that  God  said, 
"  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image,  after  our 
likeness,"  and  that  He  made  him  to  have  domin- 
ion ;  that  He  placed  him  in  circumstances  where 


22  THE  MESSAGE  OF  GENESIS 

he  should  be  reminded  of  his  relation  to  God, 
and  called  upon  to  respond  thereto ;  I  know  that 
I  am  reading  the  deepest  truth  of  my  own  life. 
This  conception  of  the  relation  between  man  and 
God  creates  that  consciousness  of  what  sin  is, 
which  fills  the  soul  with  fear.  The  determined 
prostitution  of  powers  which  are  akin  to  God,  to 
purposes  of  evil,  is  terrible  indeed ;  and  this 
message  concerning  the  true  nature  of  man  must 
create  a  profound  conviction  of  the  awfulness  of 
sin.  It  is,  nevertheless,  a  message  of  hope,  for  it 
suggests  the  possibility  of  renewal.  To  be  with- 
out God  is  indeed  to  be  without  hope.  To 
believe  the  truth  that  man  is  related  to  God 
is  to  know  the  renewal  of  hope.  In  this  first 
message  then,  there  is  thunder,  but  in  it  there 
are  also  tears.  It  is  because  man  loses  his  sense 
of  essential  relation  to  God  that  sin  and  sorrow 
continue.  If  we  could  say  to  the  men  of  this 
age,  In  His  image,  after  His  likeness,  as  we 
ought,  there  would  necessarily  follow  the  pro- 
foundest  and  deepest  conviction  of  sin,  and  the 
most  genuine  return  to  Him  ;  and  therefore  to 
holiness  of  character,  and  righteousness  of  life. 

The  second  message  is  an  inevitable  sequence 
of  the  first.     It  is,  indeed,  a  corollary,  something 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  GENESIS  23 

which  is  inseparable  therefrom.  As  man  is  re- 
lated to  God  by  creation  and  government,  it  fol- 
lows that  the  true  secret  for  the  realization  of  his 
life  is  that  of  faith,  which  expresses  itself  in  obe- 
dience. This  is  at  once  taught  as  we  pass  into 
the  second  division  of  the  book,  that  dealing 
with  Degeneration.  Man's  confidence  in  God 
was  first  shaken  when  the  enemy  said,  "  Yea, 
hath  God  said,  Ye  shall  not  eat  of  any  tree  of 
the  garden  ?  "  and  declared,  "  Ye  shall  not  surely 
die."  He  called  in  question  the  goodness  and 
truth  of  God,  and  thereby  attacked  the  confidence 
of  a  human  being.  When  faith  wavered,  through 
listening  to  a  slander  upon  God,  the  issue  was  an 
act  of  disobedience.  Faith  and  obedience  are 
always  joined  together. 

"  Trust  and  obey, 
For  there's  no  other  way  " 

may  be  so  simple  a  statement  as  to  be  con- 
sidered doggerel  rather  than  poetry.  It  is, 
nevertheless,  the  philosophy  of  Genesis,  and  of 
the  Christian  religion.  When  trust  failed,  obedi- 
ence ceased  ;  and  immediately  there  passed  over 
all  life  a  blasting  and  a  mildew,  and  humanity 
failed  to  realize  itself.  Thus  the  fundamental 


24  THE  MESSAGE  OF  GENESIS 

truth  is  taught  that  man  can  only  realize  his  own 
God-created  life  by  trusting  God,  and  walking  in 
the  way  of  His  commandment. 

In  the  final  division  of  the  book,  that  dealing 
with  the  beginnings  of  Regeneration,  the  prin- 
cipal subject  is  that  of  the  life  stories  of  individual 
and  representative  men,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob. 
Throughout  all  these  the  supreme  revelation  is 
that  of  God  seeking  to  restore  men  to  obedience 
by  restoring  them  to  the  main  principle  of  human 
life,  that  of  faith  in  Himself.  Faith  is  seen  hav- 
ing different  methods  of  expression.  In  the  case 
of  Abraham,  seven  communications  were  made 
to  him,  and  his  faith  was  always  obedient  with- 
out questioning.  Two  communications  were 
made  to  Isaac,  whose  faith  was  passive.  To 
him  God  spoke  merely  by  way  of  ratification. 
Five  communications  were  made  to  Jacob,  whose 
faith  was  restless  ;  and  these  always  came  after  a 
period  of  wandering,  in  order  to  restore  him. 
The  one  principle  is  found  in  all ;  in  Abraham 
obedient,  in  Isaac  passive,  in  Jacob  restless ;  and 
because  that  principle  was  present,  God  was  able 
to  work  for  the  remaking  of  these  men,  and  they 
were  able  to  find  their  way  back  into  conscious 
relationship  with  Him. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  GENESIS  25 

Thus  the  book  reveals  the  fact  that  faith  is  the 
basis  upon  which  God  can  work  His  will  in  man, 
and  upon  which  man  can  realize  the  will  of  God. 
All  this  is  carried  out  in  greater  detail  in  subse- 
quent books  of  the  Bible,  but  this  is  the  simple 
and  almost  overwhelming  message  of  Genesis  to 
the  men  of  this  age.  First,  that  man  is  not 
wholly  of  the  dust,  but  that  between  him  and 
God  there  is  immediateness  of  relationship ;  and 
secondly,  that  man  only  finds  himself,  and 
realizes  the  true  meaning  of  his  own  life  as  he 
places  his  confidence  in  God,  and  obeys  Him 
with  unquestioning  loyalty. 

Hear,  then,  the  final  message  of  the  book. 
Oh,  man,  thou  art  of  God.  Thou  canst  only 
enter  into  thine  own  life  and  realize  it  as  thy  con- 
fidence is  reposed  in  Him,  and  thy  obedience  is 
yielded  to  Him.  That  is  the  truth  which  this 
book  utters  to  all  men  as  a  philosophy  of  life. 
To  those  who  have  fallen,  and  are  excluded 
from  their  own  life  because  they  are  out  of  fel- 
lowship with  God,  it  declares  that  as  they  return 
to  the  principle  of  faith  in  God,  they  will  find 
their  feet  placed  again  upon  the  highway  that 
leads  them  home.  Not  that  they  will  be  able  to 
rebuild  the  ruined  temple,  or  reconstruct  the 


26  THE  MESSAGE  OF  GENESIS 

wasted  years,  but  He  will  be  able  to  do  these 
things  when  they  trust  and  obey.  The  book  of 
Genesis  declares  that  the  just  shall  live  by  faith. 
Without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God. 
These  principles  underlie  every  story,  and  con- 
stitute the  living  message  of  the  whole  book. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


L  The  Divine  Method  with  the  Race, 
and  the  Responsibility  of  the 
Race 

L  The  Method. 

a.  The  Creation  of  a  Testimony. 

b.  The  Guarding  of  the  Testimony, 
ii.  The  Responsibility. 

a.  Created  by  the  Testimony. 

b.  Limited  by  the  Testimony. 

II.  The  Divine  Method  with  the  Instru- 
ment, and  the  Responsibility  of 
the  Instrument 

i.  The  Method. 

a.  A  progressive  Revelation  of  Him- 

self. 

b.  A  direct  and  minute  Administra- 

tion of  Affairs. 
ii.  The  Responsibilities. 

a.  Worship. 

b.  Obedience. 

fll.  The  Divine  Method  with  the  Indi- 
vidual, and  the  Responsibility  of 
the  Individual 
i.  The  Method. 

a.  Opportunities  for  Choice. 

b.  Ratification  of  Choice. 
ii.  The  Responsibilities. 

a.  Choice. 

b.  Creation  of  Destiny. 


I.  The  Sovereignty  of  God 
i.  His  Righteousness. 

a.  In  Purpose. 

b.  In  Plan. 

ii.  His  Judgment. 

a.  Wisdom. 

b.  Power. 


II.  The  Salvation  of  Man 

i.  Worship. 

a.  God  at  Centre. 

b.  Life  concentric. 
ii.  Obedience. 

a.  Simple  and  complete. 

b.  Against  Opposition. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS 

IN  the  book  of  Exodus  nothing  is  commenced, 
nothing  is  finished.  To  read  it,  having  no 
acquaintance  with  the  book  preceding  it,  or 
with  those  following,  would  be  to  be  conscious  of 
incompleteness.  The  first  word  "Now "might 
with  equal  accuracy  be  translated  "  And "  ; 
which  immediately  suggests  relation  to  some- 
thing which  has  gone  before.  The  last  phrase, 
"Throughout  all  their  journeys,"  connects  with 
what  is  to  follow,  for  the  book  contains  no  ac- 
count of  the  journeys  referred  to. 

These  facts  help  us  to  understand  the  message 
of  the  book.     It  is  a  part  of  a  larger  whole,  and 
its  supreme  value  is  its  revelation  of  the  procedure 
of  God  in  human  history.     There  are  two  ways 
in  which  we  may  consider  the  story  it  tells.     We""\ 
may  think  of  it  as  a  record  of  the  doings  of  men,    \ 
or  as  the  record  of  the  doings  of  God.     To  adopt 
the  former  method  is  to  be  impressed  with  the    J 
sense  of  failure.     The  story  of  Moses  is  one  of 

failure  and  weakness,  save  when  he  was  victori- 

29 


30  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS 

ous  and  strong  as  the  result  of  his  relationship  to 
God.  The  greatness  of  the  man  can  only  be 
accounted  for  in  that  illuminative  word  of  the 
psalmist,  "  Thy  gentleness  hath  made  me  great." 
Aaron  is  a  perpetual  revelation  of  weakness. 
The  story  of  the  people  is  one  of  unceasing 
failure,  caused  by  their  inability  to  rise  to  the 
height  of  the  revelations  they  received,  and 
manifest  in  their  eager  haste  to  confess  them- 
selves able  to  keep  the  commandments  of  God, 
and  their  equally  eager  haste  to  break  those 
commandments. 

To  take  the  other  standpoint,  that  of  the  Di- 
vine procedure,  is  to  discover  the  line  of  prog- 
ress, and  to  observe  the  method  by  which  God 
was  moving  forward  towards  the  accomplish- 
ment of  an  ultimate  purpose.  Thus  the  chief 
value  of  the  book  is  its  revelation  of  the  fact  that 
human  progress  has  ever  been  the  result  of  the 
grace  and  the  patience  of  God.  Its  permanent 
values,  then,  are  its  revelations  of  the  methods  of 
God,  and  the  responsibilities  of  man.  Let  us 
consider  these  values,  and  from  them  deduce  the 
living  message  of  the  book. 

The  principles  of  the  Divine  procedure  are 
eternally  the  same.  His  methods  change  as 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS  31 

they  follow  the  law  of  adaptation  to  new  ages, 
and  consequently  new  requirements.  In  this 
book  we  are  observing  these  methods  in  their 
earliest  stages ;  and  we  shall  notice  them  in  three 
particulars  which  may  thus  be  stated.  The  Di- 
vine method  with  the  race,  and  the  responsibility 
of  the  race  in  the  light  thereof.  The  Divine 
method  with  the  instrument,  and  the  responsibil- 
ity of  that  instrument.  The  Divine  method  with 
the  individual,  and  the  responsibility  of  the  in- 
dividual. 

As  to  the  Divine  method  with  the  race.  This 
book  is  the  story  of  the  nation.  In  our  analysis 
it  has  been  termed  The  emergence  of  the  nation. 
In  the  final  division  of  Genesis,  that  of  Regen- 
eration, we  have  the  account  of  the  calling  of  a 
man,  the  creation  of  a  family,  and  the  multiplica- 
tion of  the  families ;  until  at  its  close  we  see  a 
multitude  of  people  in  the  land  of  Goshen,  their 
moral  fibre  being  tempered  by  suffering  ;  as  yet 
without  national  consciousness  or  national  power. 
In  Exodus  the  story  of  the  emergence  of  this 
multitude  into  a  nation  is  told.  Its  first  division 
reveals  a  people  in  bondage ;  its  second  tells  the 
story  of  deliverance  from  bondage,  by  the  hand 
of  God ;  and  its  last  gives  an  account  of  their 


32  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS 

organization  into  national  life.  It  is  important 
that  we  should  understand  the  meaning  of 
the  creation  of  this  nation.  It  cannot  be  too 
often  emphasized  that  it  was  not  the  election  of 
a  nation  from  among  others  in  order  that  upon 
that  nation  God  might  lavish  His  love  while  He 
abandoned  the  others.  The  purpose  of  God  was 
far  wider  than  that  of  the  creation  of  this  nation ; 
it  was  that  of  the  creationof  a  testimony  through 
this  nation,  for  the  sake  of  the  others.  The  Di- 
vine intention  was  the  creation  of  a  people  who 
under  His  government  should  reveal  in  the 
world  the  breadth  and  beauty  and  beneficence  of 
that  government ;  a  people  who,  gathered  in  / 

**s^ 

their  national  life  about  His  throne  and  His  altar, 
obeying  His  commands  and  worshipping  Him, 
should  reveal  to  outside  nations  the  meaning  of 
the  Kingship  of  God.  It  was  not  the  selection  of) 
a  pet,  but  the  creation  of  a  pattern.  The  story, 
then,  of  the  nation  is  that  of  the  creation  of  a 
testimony,  and  the  Divine  ensurance  of  its  procla- 
mation through  both  the  failure  and  the  success 
of  the  people.  The  method  is  to  human  seem- 
ing a  long  and  tedious  one,  but  it  is  the  only 
one  possible.  It  is  that  which  God  has  ever  fol- 
lowed. He  constantly  embodies  a  truth  in  an 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS  33 

instrument ;  either  a  man,  a  society,  or  a  nation  ; 
in  order  that  other  men,  other  societies,  other 
nations  may  understand  it.  The  responsibilities 
of  the  races,  in  the  midst  of  which  the  testimony  is 
borne,  are  created  and  limited  by  that  testimony. 
The  method  of  God  with  the  instrument  was 
that  of  progressive  revelation  of  Himself.  That 
movement  is  clearly  marked  in  this  book  of  Ex- 
odus. The  first  distinct  revelation  was  that 
made  to  a  man  by  the  mystery  of  the  burning 
bush  and  the  declaration,  "  I  AM  "  ;  the  vision 
of  a  bush  ablaze  with  fire,  and  yet  not  consumed : 
a  voice  declaring  essential  being,  and  giving  no 
explanation.  A  little  further  on  there  was  a  fur- 
ther unveiling  of  the  meaning  of  the  first  word, 
14 1  AM,"  in  the  exposition  of  the  values  of  the 
name  Jehovah.  That  great  name  had  been 
known  as  a  name,  but  its  intention  had  not  been 
understood.  This  truth  was  revealed  to  Moses 
in  a  passage  full  of  beauty,  which  opens  and 
closes  with  the  simple  declaration,  "  I  am  Jeho- 
vah "  ;  and  in  its  course  affirms  His  power  to 
lead  His  people  out,  and  to  bring  them  in.  That 
is  to  say,  the  name  was  explained  as  revealing 
the  fact  of  God's  ability  to  become  to  His  people 
whatever  their  need  demanded.  For  a  clear 


34  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS 

statement  of  the  values  of  the  name  Jehovah  the 
student  may  with  profit  turn  to  the  article  in  the 
Emphasized  Bible  by  Mr.  Rotherham.  This  was 
the  second  stage  of  Divine  Self-revelation  to  this 
people.  The  "  I  AM  "  of  the  burning  bush,  full 
of  infinite  majesty,  in  the  presence  of  which  man 
could  only  worship,  was  now  seen  to  be  the  One 
who  becomes  what  His  people  need,  the  One 
who  enters  into  all  their  circumstances  with 
them,  in  strong  ability.  Later  on,  after  the  de- 
liverance, and  as  the  work  of  organization  was 
about  to  commence,  God  revealed  Himself  to 
them  as  the  God  of  grace  in  His  declaration, 
"  Ye  shall  be  a  peculiar  treasure  unto  Me  from 
among  all  the  peoples  .  .  .  and  ye  shall  be 
unto  Me  a  kingdom  of  priests,  and  an  holy  na- 
tion." Almost  immediately  following,  and  with 
startling  suddenness  there  is  a  further  revelation 
as  He  manifested  Himself  as  the  God  of  law. 
The  people  imagined  they  were  able  to  keep  the 
covenant  He  proposed  to  make  with  them. 
They  did  not  know  their  own  weakness,  and 
consequently,  almost  immediately  after  He  had 
spoken  of  making  them  His  own  peculiar  treasure, 
the  word  went  forth  which  commanded  that  they 
should  not  be  allowed  to  touch  the  mountain 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS  35 

from  the  midst  of  which  the  thunder  of  His  law 
was  to  be  uttered.  Yet  again,  Moses  and  the 
elders  were  permitted  to  go  into  the  very  pres- 
ence of  God.  There  is  perhaps  no  more  won- 
derful chapter  in  the  whole  book  than  that  which 
gives  the  account  of  how  these  men  saw  God 
while  "  He  laid  not  His  hand "  upon  them. 
There  is  no  description  of  what  they  saw,  but 
they  saw  Him.  Thus  they  came  one  step  further 
along  the  line  of  revelation,  and  discovered  that 
the  infinite  mystery  of  the  Being  of  the  burning 
bush  was  also  personal,  in  some  such  way  that 
they  might  see  and  eat  in  His  presence,  while  they 
were  unable  to  describe  what  they  had  seen.  The 
personality  of  God  was  not  there  fully  unveiled. 
All  its  deepest  meaning  was  not  yet  revealed ; 
but  the  fact  was  declared  and  made  real  to  the 
consciousness.  Still  later  to  Moses,  on  behalf  of 
the  people,  Jehovah  proclaimed  the  glory  of  His 
essential  nature,  in  that  matchless  passage :  "  Je- 
hovah, Jehovah,  a  God  full  of  compassion  and 
gracious,  slow  to  anger,  and  plenteous  in  mercy 
and  truth  ;  keeping  mercy  for  thousands,  forgiv- 
ing iniquity  and  transgression  and  sin ;  and  that 
will  by  no  means  clear  the  guilty :  visiting  the 
iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,  and 


36  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS 

upon  the  children's  children,  upon  the  third  and 
fourth  generation."  Finally,  the  overwhelming 
and  stupendous  fact  of  the  glory  of  God  was 
demonstrated  in  the  hour  when,  the  tabernacle 
having  been  reared  according  to  pattern,  the  Di- 
vine presence  filled  it,  and  the  priests  were  un- 
able to  stand  and  minister  in  His  presence. 

This  rapid  survey  helps  us  to  see  that  while  all 
the  details,  such  as  the  technicalities  of  the  legal 
code,  and  the  minutiae  of  the  instructions  con- 
cerning the  construction  of  the  tabernacle,  are 
important,  the  supreme  method  of  God  in  deal- 
ing with  the  instrument  through  which  He  should 
reveal  Himself  among  the  nations  was  that  of 
unveiling  the  truth  concerning  Himself  to  them, 
ever  leading  them  a  little  deeper  into  the  mys- 
tery, giving  them  some  new  gleam  of  its  light, 
offering  them  fresh  unveilings,  and  so  conduct- 
ing them  into  higher  realms  of  spiritual  appre- 
hension. 

Side  by  side  with  this  unveiling  of  Himself, 
His  method  is  seen  to  be  that  of  direct  and 
minute  administration  of  the  affairs  of  their  lives. 

The  responsibility  of  the  instrument  may  now 
be  stated  in  the  briefest  way  as  twofold  ;  that, 
namely,  of  worship  and  obedience. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS  37 

Finally,  Exodus  reveals  the  Divine  method 
with,  and  the  consequent  responsibility  of,  the 
individual.  There  are  two  notable  illustrations 
— Pharaoh  and  Moses.  God's  method  with 
each  was  the  same,  while  the  issue  was  different. 

The  case  of  Pharaoh  is  that  of  a  man  strong, 
acute,  but  rebellious— a  man  who  acted  wholly 
by  sight  and  upon  the  basis  of  policy.  God's 
attitude  towards  him  was  that  of  giving  him 
every  opportunity  to  make  his  own  choice,  and 
work  it  out  into  destiny. 

His  method  with  Moses  was  the  same.  He 
/  was  a  man  strong,  capable,  and  obedient.  In- 
/  stead  of  acting  by  sight,  and  on  the  basis  of 
policy,  he  "  endured  as  seeing  Him  who  is  in- 
visible," and  thus  lived  and  triumphed  by  faith. 
With  him  the  dealings  of  God  were  ever  those  of 
a  great  patience  as  He  led  him  on,  step  by  step, 
until  His  gentleness  had  made  him  great.  God's 
patience  condemned  Pharaoh.  God's  patience 
crowned  Moses.  The  Divine  method  with  these 
two  representative  men,  both  of  them  notable 
leaders,  was  that  of  giving  each  man  his  oppor- 
tunity of  choice  ;  not  leaving  him  wholly  to  the 
dictates  of  his  own  lust  and  desire,  but  attempt- 
ing, by  patience  and  persuasion,  to  direct  his 


38  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS 

choice.  Therefore  human  responsibility  is  clearly 
revealed  to  be  that  of  choice,  and  ultimately, 
therefore,  that  of  the  creation  of  destiny.  The 
history  of  these  two  men  is  indeed  a  remarkable 
revelation  of  abiding  truth.  One  faulty,  failing, 
sometimes  even  cowardly,  rose  into  a  strange 
dignity  and  nobleness  of  character,  because  he 
chose  to  submit  to  the  government  of  God.  The 
other  strong,  astute,  moved  with  determination 
towards  destruction,  not  because  God  elected  him 
to  destruction,  but  because  he  refused  God's 
ministry  and  patience,  and  the  prolonged  oppor- 
tunity which  was  given  to  him. 

The  living  message  of  Exodus  is  twofold.  It 
reveals  the  fact  of  the  sovereignty  of  God,  and 
the  true  method  for  the  saving  of  men.  In 
Genesis  we  found  the  fundamental  revelation  of 
man's  immediate  relationship  to  God,  and  the 
declaration  that  faith  is  the  one  principle  by 
which  man  may  realize  his  life.  These  same 
truths  are  in  Exodus,  but  with  a  changed  empha- 
sis. The  God  to  whom  man  is  related  is  de- 
clared to  be  Sovereign.  Man  in  his  failure  is 
taught  that  his  faith  must  express  itself  in  wor- 
ship and  obedience. 

The  whole  truth  concerning  God  revealed  in 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS  39 

the  book  of  Exodus  may  be  expressed  concisely 
in  the  stately  language  of  the  psalmist : 

"  Clouds  and  darkness  are  round  about  Him  : 
Righteousness  and  judgment  are  the  foundation  of  His 
throne." 

The  two  words  by  the  use  of  which  the  psalm- 
ist describes  the  throne  of  God  are  most  suggest- 
ive— "  righteousness  and  judgment."  These  are 
the  two  elements  in  the  method  of  God  with  His 
people  which  are  clearly  revealed  in  the  book  of 
Exodus,  and  which  in  combination  constitute  the 
foundation  of  His  throne.  The  meaning  of 
righteousness  is  so  apparent  as  to  need  little  ex- 
planation. Perhaps  its  value  in  this  connection 
may  be  more  clearly  seen  by  abbreviating  the 
word.  To  omit  the  central  syllable  is  to  have 
the  word,  Tightness ;  and  once  again,  to  drop 
the  final  one  is  to  have  the  simple  word,  right. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  this  is  the  simple  and  essen- 
tial meaning  of  the  Hebrew  word.  Right,  then, 
is  one  element  in  the  strength  of  the  foundation 
of  the  throne  of  God.  This  whole  book  delivers 
that  message  with  unvarying  insistence.  The 
government  of  God  is  right,  in  purpose  and  in 
method.  In  its  operation  there  is  no  deviation 


40  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS 

from  that  which  is  strictly,  absolutely,  eternally, 
essentially  right. 

The  other  word  "  judgment "  helps  to  an  un- 
derstanding of  the  word  right.  We  are  in  per- 
petual danger  of  misinterpreting  the  meaning  of 
judgment  by  emphasizing  only  one  of  its  values. 
The  Hebrew  word  translated  "  judgment "  liter- 
ally means  verdict.  That  by  no  means  ex- 
presses all  the  values  which  by  use  it  came  to 
represent.  It  does,  however,  suggest  the  root 
principle  that  lies  within  it — that,  namely,  of  dis- 
crimination. This  particular  word  signifying 
verdict  comes  from  another  which  means  to 
judge,  to  come  to  a  decision,  to  find  a  verdict,  to 
pronounce  sentence.  For  our  understanding  of 
the  intention  of  the  great  declaration  we  may  with 
advantage  make  use  of  a  word  which  at  first 
seems  to  be  entirely  foreign,  but  which  in  reality 
catches  the  very  heart  of  the  meaning — the  word 
method.  Righteousness  and  method  are  the 
foundation  of  His  throne.  We  all  use  the  word 
judgment  in  that  sense  in  regard  to  our  fellow 
men,  and  in  so  doing  are  more  true  to  its  real 
intention  than  we  are  when  we  use  it  in  regard 
to  God,  as  though  it  simply  indicated  His  punish- 
ment of  man.  Of  some  man  whom  we  hold  in 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS  41 

high  esteem  we  say  that  he  is  a  man  of  rare 
judgment.  That  is  the  true  use  of  the  word. 
We  do  not  mean  by  that  that  his  one  character- 
istic is  that  of  visiting  evil  with  punishment,  al- 
though we  do  know  that  the  man  of  true  judg- 
ment will  be  angry  with  wrong.  The  fact  that 
God  is  a  God  of  judgment  does  most  certainly 
include  within  it  the  truth  that  He  is  angry  in 
the  presence  of  wrong ;  and  moreover,  that  He 
will  visit  upon  sin  His  hot  indignation.  The 
supreme  demonstration  of  this  truth,  as  of  all 
others,  is  to  be  found  in  Christ,  who  was  ca- 
pable of  saying,  "  Depart,  ye  cursed,"  as  surely  as 
"  Come,  ye  blessed."  Judgment,  however,  means 
that,  and  infinitely  more.  Taken  in  conjunction 
with  righteousness,  it  shows  that  in  His  govern- 
ment all  His  activity  is  that  of  method,  based 
upon  right.  As  the  God  of  judgment  He  led 
and  exalted  Moses,  and  led  and  cast  down 
Pharaoh. 

In  this  book  of  Exodus  we  see  the  govern- 
ment of  God  based  upon  righteousness  and 
judgment,  illustrated  in  His  dealing  with  His 
people.  His  government  is  that  of  wisdom. 
This  is  revealed  in  His  selection  of  time,  places, 
and  instruments.  In  the  first  five  verses  of 


42  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS 

Exodus  is  a  list  of  names  of  those  who  went  intc 
Egypt  with  Jacob,  followed  by  these  words, 
"  And  Joseph  was  in  Egypt  already."  It  is  per- 
fectly true  that  he  was  there  through  the  hatred 
and  crime  of  his  brethren,  but  this  book  reveals 
the  deeper  reason  of  his  being  there  ;  and  God  is 
seen  seated  high  upon  His  throne  of  righteous 
method,  selecting  a  man,  and  a  time,  and  a 
place.  This  surely  was  Joseph's  understanding 
of  all  the  painful  story,  for  when  his  brethren 
came  eventually  into  his  presence,  he  said,  "  It 
was  not  you  that  sent  me  hither,  but  God." 
Throughout  the  whole  of  this  book  it  is  manifest 
that  no  contingencies  surprise  Him,  no  exigencies 
find  Him  unprepared;  but  that  in  all  circum- 
stances and  in  all  conditions,  He  is  perfect  in 
wisdom  and  in  power ;  and  that  in  His  operation 
the  largest  and  smallest  things  are  taken  account 
of,  and  pressed  into  service. 

One   illustration  of  this  will  suffice.     Ere  the 
/  people  could  become  a  nation  it  was  necessary 
that  their  moral  fibre  should  be  stiffened.     For  this 
God  was  strong  and  patient  enough  to  wait  four 
centuries.     The  hour  approaching  for  their  de- 
liverance, He  opened  a  door  through  the  cry  of 
\  a  baby,  as  that  cry  touched  a  woman's  heart, 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS  43 

and  admitted  a  Hebrew  to  the  cmirt  of  Pharaoh. 
This  God  is  the  God  we  adore,  manipulating 
ages  and  events,  and  compelling  them  to  min- 
ister to  things  of  a  moment ;  and  at  the  same 
time,  touching  the  tiniest  and  simplest  things  of 
life,  and  compelling  them  to  issues  which  include 
centuries. 

As  to  the  saving  of  man,  Exodus  teaches  that 
faith  expresses  itself  in  worship  and  obedience. 
This  is  not  a  haphazard  choosing  of  words. 
Thou  shalt  worship  and  obey  is  the  all-inclusive 
command  of  the  sovereign  God.  Worship  con- 
sists in  putting  God  at  the  centre  of  the  life ;  and 
service  in  seeing  to  it  that  all  the  life  is  centred 
in  Him.  That  was  the  supreme  revelation  to  the 
men  of  this  nation.  At  its  centre  there  was  an 
ark.  The  nations  knew  eventually  that  there  was 
something  strange  and  mystic  connected  with 
that  ark ;  and  attempted  to  capture  it,  with  what 
difficulty  and  trouble  to  themselves  subsequent 
books  reveal.  It  was  only  an  ark,  but  it  was  the 
symbol  of  the  truth  that  at  the  centre  of  human 
life  God  must  be  enthroned.  That  is  worship  in 
its  first  movement.  It  is  not,  however,  completed 
until  it  expresses  itself  in  obedience.  To  place 
the  ark  beneath  the  curtains  at  the  centre  of  the 


44  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS 

encampment,  and  then  to  go  away  to  break  the 
law  is  not  worship  ;  it  is  blasphemy.  The  ark 
being  placed  there,  and  God  being  recognized, 
He  must  be  obeyed  in  every  department  and 
activity  of  the  life.  To  study  the  ethical  code  of 
this  book  is  to  discover  that  in  all  the  minutest 
matters  of  food  and  raiment  and  habits  and 
friendship,  the  will  of  God  must  be  discovered 
and  obeyed.  Moreover,  the  story  teaches  that 
obedience  must  be  persistent  even  against  oppo- 
sition. This  is  perhaps  most  remarkably  re- 
vealed in  the  story  of  how  Moses  persisted  in  his 
determination  to  obey  the  command  of  God 
in  spite  of  the  opposition  raised  by  Pharaoh. 
Pharaoh  attempted  to  prevent  their  going  away 
to  worship.  He  first  declared  they  should  not 
go.  Then  under  compulsion,  in  effect  he  said, 
You  may  worship  in  your  own  way,  but  you  must 
do  it  in  the  land.  The  answer  of  Moses  declared 
their  determination  to  go  three  days'  journey, 
according  to  the  Divine  command.  Then 
Pharaoh  suggested  compromise  as  he  urged  that 
if  they  must  go  outside  his  land,  they  should  not 
go  far  away.  Again  the  answer  was  one  which 
insisted  upon  the  three  days'  journey.  Yet  again 
Pharaoh  proposed  that  if  they  must  go  them- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EXODUS  45 

selves  they  should  leave  their  children  behind. 
To  this  they  refused  to  give  one  moment's  atten- 
tion, and  again  the  declaration  was  made,  "  We 
and  our  children."  Finally,  Pharaoh's  last  ap- 
peal was  made,  to  leave  their  cattle ;  and  to  that 
the  ultimate  answer  was  given,  "  There  shall  not 
an  hoof  be  left  behind." 

This  story  is  indeed  a  living  message  to  our 
own  age  revealing  the  necessity  for  absolute  and 
uttermost  obedience.  The  call  of  God  is  to  sep- 
aration, and  the  world  urges  us  to  remain  in  the 
land,  and  be  neighbourly.  It  is  ours  to  reply 
that  friendship  with  the  world  is  enmity  against 
God.  Then  we  are  told  that  if  we  insist  upon 
being  peculiar  it  is  not  necessary  to  compel  our 
children  to  be  so.  God  grant  that  our  answer 
may  ever  be,  "  We  and  our  children."  The  last 
suggestion  of  the  enemy  is  that  we  should  leave 
our  cattle,  that  it  is  necessary  for  us  to  conduct 
our  business  according  to  the  spirit  of  the  age. 
The  final  answer  of  the  Christian  is  ever  that 
which  declares  that  not  a  hoof  shall  be  left  be- 
hind. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


Recognition  of  Sin,  and  Revelation  of  its 
Nature 

Man  and  his  Need. 

The  Fact  of  Sin  recognized  by  the  whole 
Book. 

a.  Offerings. 

b.  Priests. 

c.  People. 

d.  Feasts. 

e.  Signs. 

The  Nature  of  Sin  revealed,  in  that  all 
these  things  indicate  Relationship  be- 
tween God  and  Man  ;  and  thus  reveal 
that  by  Sin  Man  is  excluded  from 
Nearness. 
Knowledge. 
Communion. 

The  revealing  Light,  the  Holiness  of  God. 
(The  Hebrew  Word  159  times.) 

Recognition  of  Redemption,  and  Revelation 
of  its  Nature 

God  and  His  Provision. 
The  Fact  of  Redemption,  the  Key  to  the 
whole  Book. 

The   Nature  of  Redemption  revealed  in 
the  Method. 

Substitution. 

Imputation. 

Death. 
The  unnamed  Love  revealed. 


1.  Concerning  Sin 

i.  Sin  is  Unlikeness  to  God. 
ii.  Sin  is  Distance  from  God. 
iii.  Sin  is  Wrong  done  to  God. 


II.  Concerning  Redemption 

i.  Redemption     is     founded     on 
Righteousness. 

ii.  Redemption  therefore  is  only 
possible  by  Blood — i.  e.  by 
Life  poured  out. 

iii.  Redemption  is  in  order  to  Holi- 
ness. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS 

THE  opening  words  of  Leviticus  reveal 
the  necessity  for  acquaintance  with  the 
book  of  Exodus.  "  And  Jehovah  called 
unto  Moses,  and  spake  unto  him  out  of  the  tent 
if  meeting."  If  we  had  read  this  statement 
without  such  acquaintance  we  should  at  once 
enquire,  Who  is  Jehovah  ?  Who  is  Moses  ? 
What  is  the  tent  of  meeting?  Having  read 
Exodus,  we  have  no  need  to  ask  these  questions. 

The  book  of  Exodus  ends  with  the  story  of 
the  covering  cloud  ;  and  there  is  really  no  break 
between  the  close  of  that  book,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  Leviticus. 

The  book  of  Leviticus  deals  with  the  first  half 
of  the  second  part  of  the  message  of  Exodus, 
having  to  do  wholly  with  worship.  In  common 
with  the  books  already  considered,  Leviticus  has 
no  final  teaching.  Its  instructions  leave  us 
unable  to  worship  in  the  way  in  which  it  de- 
clares we  ought  to  worship.  It  reveals  the 
underlying  necessities  of  the  case,  and  thus 
prepares  the  way  for  all  that  fuller  unfolding  of 

47 


48         THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS 

the  true  method  of  worship,  which  came  in  the 
fullness  of  time  by  the  mission  of  Christ. 

We  shall  follow  the  method  adopted  in  dealing 
with  Genesis  and  Exodus,  and  ask  first,  what  are 
the  permanent  values*  of  the  book ;  and  from 
these  deduce  its  living  message  to  our  own  age. 

There  are  two  supreme  values.  First,  a  rec- 
ognition of  sin,  and  a  revelation  of  its  nature; 
and  secondly,  a  recognition  of  redemption,  and  a 
revelation  of  its  nature ;  or,  more  briefly,  sin  and 
redemption,  the  fundamental  matters  concerning 
man  and  his  need,  and  God  and  His  provision. 

On  the  subject  of  sin  there  is  much  with  which 
Leviticus  does  not  deal.  Indeed,  there  are  mys- 
teries connected  therewith  which  the  Bible  does 
not  attempt  to  explain.  We  have  no  final  teach- 
ing in  the  Scriptures  of  Truth  concerning  the 
genesis  of  sin  in  the  universe.  I  use  the  word 
sin  rather  than  evil,  because  it  indicates  a  moral 
wrong,  whereas  evil  includes  not  only  the  moral 
wrong,  but  all  suffering  and  sorrow  resulting 
therefrom.  The  Bible  makes  it  perfectly  clear 
that  suffering  and  sorrow  are  the  result  of  sin. 
It  gives  us,  however,  no  explicit  teaching  con- 
cerning the  origin  of  sin.  Neither  does  the  Bible 
enter  into  any  details  concerning  the  ultimate 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS         49 

issues  of  the  presence  of  sin  in  the  universe.  We 
do  find,  however,  all  that  it  is  necessary  for  man 
to  know,  and  the  simplest  thing  stands  revealed 
upon  the  pages  of  this  book  of  Leviticus.  The 
fact  of  sin  is  recognized  from  beginning  to  end. 
If  there  be  no  such  thing  as  culpable  moral  per- 
version, then  this  book  is  a  farrago  of  nonsense. 
To  pass  in  review  its  five  divisions  is  to  be  con- 
scious of  sin.  The  offerings  described  were  ren- 
dered necessary  by  the  sin  of  those  who  were  com- 
manded to  bring  them.  The  mediation  of  the 
priests  as  between  the  soul  and  God  was  called 
for  as  the  result  of  sin.  The  laws  of  separation 
recognized  the  sin  from  which  the  people  must 
be  separated,  in  order  that  their  separation  from 
God  might  be  cancelled.  The  feasts  of  consecra- 
tion emphasize  the  benefits  gained  as  the  result 
of  escape  from  sin. 

The  nature  of  sin  is  revealed  in  that  in  all 
these  things  the  fundamental  relationship  be- 
tween God  and  man  is  taken  for  granted ;  and 
yet  the  necessity  for  man's  redemption  and  res- 
toration to  God  is  revealed.  Sin  is,  therefore,  so 
far  as  man's  experience  is  concerned,  exclusion 
from  nearness  to  God,  from  knowledge  of  God, 
from  communion  with  God.  In  the  light  of  the 


50         THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS 

New  Testament  we  know  far  more  of  these  mat- 
ters than  the  book  of  Leviticus  reveals ;  but  in 
this  book  they  are  stated  in  their  first  simplicity, 
and  fundamental  values.  The  whole  economy 
of  worship,  as  herein  set  forth,  emphasized  the 
fact  of  the  distance  of  God  from  man,  because  of 
sin ;  and  of  man's  consequent  need  of  some  proc- 
ess by  which  he  might  be  brought  back  to  God. 
The  creation  of  a  way  of  entrance  indicates  the 
necessity  for  its  making.  The  necessity  for  its 
making  reveals  the  fact  that  sin  separates  be- 
tween man  and  God. 

The  truth  stands  out  in  clear  and  awful  relief 
by  virtue  of  another  fact.  The  revealing  light 
throughout  the  book  of  Leviticus  is  that  of  the 
holiness  of  God.  The  awful  word  is  stamped 
upon  its  page,  occurring  more  often  in  this  than 
in  any  other  book  of  the  Divine  Library,  either 
in  the  Old  or  the  New  Testament.  The  Hebrew 
word,  translated  "  holy  "  more  often  than  in  any 
other  way,  but  sometimes  by  other  words,  occurs 
over  one  hundred  and  fifty  times  in  the  course  of 
the  twenty-seven  chapters.  This  is  a  mechanical 
and  technical  suggestion,  but  if  the  word  be 
marked  in  the  reading  of  the  book  with  a  blue 
pencil,  it  will  be  seen  how  the  thought  is  inter- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS         51 

woven  with  the  texture  from  first  to  last.  The 
superlative  instance  of  its  use  occurs  in  the  midst 
of  the  commandments  which  have  to  do  with  the 
ordinary  and  every-day  cleanliness  of  the  people. 
In  connection  with  matters  so  apparently  prosaic, 
the  great  word  is  spoken,  "Be  ye  holy ;  for  I  am 
holy."  The  holiness  of  God  shines  like  a  white, 
fearful  light  upon  the  whole  book.  It  is  in  con- 
trast with  that  holiness  that  the  sin  of  man  is 
seen  and  understood.  Because  of  the  absolute 
holiness  of  God,  man  in  his  sin  is  excluded  from 
His  presence.  According  to  the  teaching  of  this 
book,  sin  is  fundamentally,  essentially,  wrong 
done  to  God. 

This  recognition  of  the  fact  of  sin,  and  revela- 
tion of  its  nature,  constitutes  the  background 
which  throws  up  into  clear  relief  the  teaching 
concerning  redemption.  The  whole  scheme  of 
worship  as  set  forth  in  Leviticus  serves  to  place 
before  the  mind  of  humanity,  first,  the  idea  of 
redemption,  as  existing  in  the  purpose  and  econ- 
omy of  God ;  and  secondly,  that  in  process  of 
time  it  would  be  wrought  out  into  visibility  and 
actuality  in  the  history  of  man.  The  supreme 
value  of  the  book,  therefore,  is  its  revelation  to 
man  of  the  Divine  purpose  of  redemption.  The 


52         THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS 

offerings  constituted  provision  for  approach. 
The  mediation  of  the  priest  was  the  method  for 
the  appropriation  of  the  provision.  The  laws  of 
separation  revealed  the  conditions  upon  which 
such  appropriation  might  be  made.  The  feasts 
of  consecration  revealed  the  benefits  of  approach  ; 
and  the  symbols  of  ratification  were  the  signs  of 
restored  relation.  The  thought  running  through- 
out the  whole  economy  is  that  of  man,  who  has 
sinned,  and  so  been  excluded  from  God,  being 
brought  back  to  Him. 

/  The  offerings  indicated  the  provision  of  a 
method  by  which  man  might  be  brought  back 
into  nearness  to,  and  knowledge  of,  and  com- 
munion with  God.  The  first  three  revealed  the 
ideal  relationship ;  the  burnt,  speaking  of  com- 
plete devotion ;  the  meal,  of  established  com- 
munion ;  and  the  peace,  of  the  experience  grow- 
ting  therefrom.  The  final  two  suggested  the 
method  by  which  those  away  from  communion 
might  be  restored  ;  both  the  sin  and  the  trespass 
offerings  in  different  applications  teaching  the 
possibility  of  the  cancelling  of  sin,  and  the  res- 
toration of  the  soul  to  God.  Whether  our  inter- 
pretation of  the  individual  significance  of  the 
offerings  agrees  or  not,  we  shall  all  agree  that 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS         53 

the  underlying  teaching  is  that  of  the  possibility 
of  restored  approach  to  God.  The  priesthood 
was  that  by  which  it  was  possible  for  man  to  ap- 
propriate the  provision.  No  man  was  permitted 
to  bring  his  own  offering  to  God.  It  was  neces- 
sary that  there  should  be  one  to  stand  between 
the  sinner  and  God,  and  present  the  offering. 
The  thought  is  still  that  of  the  possibility ;  and 
the  fact  that  a  mediating  ministry  is  created,  by 
which  the  provision  for  approach  can  be  appro- 
priated, is  a  revelation  of  the  purpose  of  God. 
The  same  underlying  thought  is  discoverable  in 
the  conditions  laid  down,  upon  which  conditions 
man  might  avail  himself  of  the  mediation  of  the 
priests ;  and  also  in  the  feasts  which  symbolized 
restored  relationship,  and  the  signs  which  ratified 
the  same.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that 
this  one  unifying  revelation  of  the  book  of  Levit- 
icus should  never  be  lost  sight  of.  While  there 
is  great  value  in  a  minute  and  detailed  examina- 
tion of  all  the  ancient  economy  of  worship,  we 
need  to  be  most  careful  that,  while  attending  to 
details,  we  do  not  lose  sight  of  the  consistent 
revelation  of  the  fact  of  redemption  as  provided 
by  God,  existing  in  His  purpose,  and  wrought 
out  in  His  plan. 


54         THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS 

A  general  survey  of  the  book  with  that  unify- 
ing truth  in  mind  will  reveal  the  nature  of  that 
redemption  by  which  sinning  man  is  brought  back 
to  God.  Three  words  indicate  the  consistent 
method.  They  are,  substitution,  imputation, 
death.  For  the  moment  I  am  not  discussing  the 
question  as  to  whether  this  is  the  true  method  of 
human  redemption,  but  am  simply  endeavouring 
to  emphasize  what  this  book  suggests.  The  first 
thought  is  undoubtedly  that  of  substitution. 
Every  sacrifice  was  that  of  a  life  standing  in  the 
place  of  another.  In  order  to  the  restoration  of 
a  sinning  man  to  God,  some  one  must  take  his 
place  as  a  sinning  man.  This  substitution  is 
closely  associated  with  imputation.  In  the  cere- 
monies of  this  ancient  ritual  there  were  constantly 
included  acts  which  suggested  the  transference 
of  the  guilt  of  man  to  the  life  which  stood  in  his 
place.  Finally,  the  one  substituted,  and  to  whom 
the  guilt  was  imputed,  must  die.  That  was  the 
one  and  only  way  of  redemption  suggested  by 
all  the  economy  of  the  Hebrew  worship. 

It  is  well  that  we  should  remember  that  all  the 
sacrifice  of  animals  was  that  of  sinless  life.  No 
animal  has  ever  sinned.  It  is  moreover  true,  and 
to  be  considered  most  carefully,  that  all  the  con- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS         55 

sciousness  of  the  animals  who  died  through  the 
long  years  of  the  Hebrew  observance  of  these  re- 
ligious rites  was,  in  the  last  analysis,  conscious- 
ness homed  in  God.  No  animal  feels  pain  of 
which  God  is  unconscious.  "The  whole  creation 
groaneth  and  travaileth  in  pain  together  until 
now.  .  .  .  The  Spirit  Himself  maketh  inter- 
cession for  us  with  groanings  which  cannot  be 
uttered."  To  put  God  away  from  His  universe, 
as  distant  from  it,  and  unconscious  of  it,  and  then 
blame  Him  for  asking  for  the  slaughter  of  ani- 
mals, is  to  break  in  upon  the  teaching  of  unity 
obtaining  in  the  universe.  Of  all  the  suffering 
of  sinless  life  God  was  more  conscious  than  the 
life  that  suffered,  or  the  men  who  watched  the 
suffering.  Whether  the  devout  souls  of  those 
bygone  days  were  conscious  of  it  or  not,  through 
all  that  ancient  economy  there  was  a  revelation  of 
the  awful  truth  of  the  passion  of  God  in  the  presence 
of  human  sin,  which  had  its  final  manifestation 
and  method  in  the  suffering  and  death  of  Christ. 
Therefore,  in  this  book  of  Leviticus  there  is 
most  evidently  present,  though  unnamed,  a  rec- 
ognition of  the  love  out  of  which  the  work  of 
redemption  proceeds.  It  is  unnamed,  for  the 
word  love  does  not  occur  in  the  book;  but  it 


56         THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS 

is  present,  for  the  whole  economy  is  evidence 
thereof.  The  only  sufficient  reason  for  redemp- 
tion, and  the  only  sufficient  impulse  for  suffering, 
is  love.  I  am  aware  that  this  is  a  theological 
question,  and  that  other  reasons  have  been  as- 
signed for  God's  work  of  redemption.  I  am 
only  able  to  state  that  which  is  the  profound 
conviction  of  my  own  heart,  that  the  final  expla- 
nation of  the  Divine  provision  of  redemption  is 
to  be  found  in  the  all-inclusive  statement  of  the 
New  Testament,  "God  is  love."  The  holiness 
of  God  might  have  been  vindicated,  and  the  last 
demand  of  His  righteousness  satisfied,  by  the 
absolute  annihilation  of  everything  that  had 
failed.  The  deepest  meaning  in  the  mystery  of 
redemption,  as  shadowed  in  the  book  of  Levit- 
icus, is  expressed  by  the  prophet  Hosea,  "  How 
shall  I  give  thee  up,  Ephraim  ?  "  Though  love 
is  not  mentioned  in  Leviticus,  if  I  study  it  until  I 
am  overawed  by  the  white  light  of  infinite  holi- 
ness, overwhelmed  by  the  insistence  upon  right- 
eousness, indicated  by  the  blood  and  suffering, 
by  fire  and  ashes,  I  am  being  taught  that  God's 
heart  of  love  compelled  Him  to  make  a  way  back 
to  His  home  and  heart  for  sinning  man,  even 
though  the  process  was  one  of  infinite  cost 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS         57 

The  living  message  of  the  book  is  already 
declared,  in  some  senses,  when  its  permanent 
values  are  recognized.  This  book  speaks  to  us 
of  sin  and  of  redemption.  Concerning  sin  it 
has  a  threefold  declaration.  Sin  is  unlikeness  to 
God.  Sin  is  distance  from  God.  Sin  is  wrong 
done  to  God. 

Sin  is  unlikeness  to  God.  That  is  taught  in 
Leviticus  by  all  the  economy  of  worship,  which 
insists  first  of  all  upon  the  fact  that  God  may 
only  be  thought  of  as  distanced  from  man. 
While  we  have  already  declared  that  the  supreme 
teaching  of  Leviticus  is  that  of  God's  determina- 
tion to  bring  man  near  to  Himself,  it  is  perfectly 
evident  that  such  determination  is  in  itself  an 
evidence  of  existing  distance.  The  ceremony 
which  commenced  with  the  erection  of  the  taber- 
nacle, and  continued  through  all  the  ritual,  is 
one  that  emphasizes  the  fact  that  God  is  unlike 
man.  God  is  thought  of  as  within  the  holy  of 
holies,  protected  from  the  approach  of  man  by 
veils,  and  by  laws  so  stringent,  that  any  viola- 
tion of  them  has  the  death  penalty  attached  to 
it.  Man  is  thus  excluded  from  God,  because 
of  the  dissimilarity  in  character  between  them. 
Man  made  in  the  image  and  the  likeness  of  God 


58         THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS 

is  a  being  on  whom  the  image  is  defaced,  and  in 
whom  the  likeness  is  unrecognizable. 

Sin  is  distance  from  God.  We  have  dwelt  on 
the  one  aspect  of  that  truth  in  emphasizing  the 
teaching  of  the  book  concerning  the  distance  of 
God  from  man,  by  the  unlikeness  of  man  to 
God.  There  is  another  side  to  this,  however, 
that,  namely,  of  man's  distance  from  God  in 
experience.  Because  he  is  excluded  from  inti- 
mate fellowship  he  does  not  know  God,  does  not 
love  God,  does  not  serve  God.  All  this,  more- 
over, is  a  condition  out  of  which  it  is  impossible 
for  him  to  rise,  save  by  the  way  of  redemption, 
according  to  the  purpose  and  power  of  God. 

Sin  is  wrong  done  to  God.  This  is  the  su- 
preme message  of  the  book  of  Leviticus  con- 
cerning sin.  The  sinfulness  of  sin  is  always 
emphasized  in  its  aspect  of  relation  between 
man  and  God.  While  it  is  perfectly  true  that 
it  is  difficult  for  the  finite  mind  to  comprehend 
the  fact  that  wrong  can  be  done  to  God,  it  is 
nevertheless  true  that  the  whole  teaching  of  the 
Hebrew  economy  of  worship  emphasizes  the  fact 
that  wrong  done  to  man  is  ultimately  wrong 
done  to  God.  Thus  sin  is  wrong  done  to  God 
in  Himself,  and  in  His  creatures.  If  it  be  held 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS         59 

that  sin  consists  only  in  wrong  done  to  our  fel- 
low men,  it  will  inevitably  ultimately  weaken  the  / 
sense  of  sin,  and  its  degree  will  be  decided  by  \ 
the  character  of  the  man  wronged.     The  only    j 
uray  in  which  the  keen  sense  of  the  heinousness  / 
of  sin  against  our  brother  can  be  kept  alive  in  the 
heart  is  by  the  perpetual  recognition  of  the  fact 
that  he  also  belongs  to  God.     If  upon  every  face 
is  seen  the  impress  of  the  Divine  relationship  as    \ 
revealed  in  Genesis ;  and  if,  therefore,  it  is  per- 
petually remembered  that  to  hurt  my  brother  is 
to  harm  God,  the  sinfulness  of  sin  against  man 
will  be  recognized.     On  the  other  hand,  if  this 
be  lost  sight  of,  men  will  be  seen  everywhere  as 
separated  units ;  and  distinctions  will  be  made 
as  between  sin  against  one  man,  and  sin  against 
another.     To  recognize  the  truth  of  what  Leviti- 
cus teaches,  that  sin  is  finally  wrong  done  to 
God,  will  be  to  get  the  only  sense  of  its  awful-  ~ 
ness,  which  has  in  it  anything  calculated  to  pro- 
duce repentance  in  the  presence  of  wrong  done, 
and  a  motive  for  the  doing  of  right.     The  whole 
truth  was  ultimately  summarized  by  Christ  in 
His  epitome  of  the  law  and  the  prophets,  by 
quotation  from  the  ancient  writings,  "Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 


60         THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS 

with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  And 
.  .  .  thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thy- 
self." The  book  of  Leviticus  says  little  about 
wrong  to  the  neighbour ;  not  that  it  is  forgotten, 
but  that  its  true  meaning  is  only  recognized,  as 
sin  is  known  as  wrong  done  to  God.  The 
psalmist  saw  deeply  into  the  true  meaning  of  sin 
when  he  said,  "  Against  Thee,  Thee  only  have  I 
sinned."  It  was  that  fundamental  conviction  of 
the  meaning  of  sin  which  created  his  keen  con- 
sciousness of  the  wrong  he  had  done  to  Bath- 
sheba  and  to  Uriah.  Take  away  from  the  heart 
of  man  the  sense  that  when  he  sins  it  is  against 
God,  and  he  will  grow  careless  about  Bathsheba 
and  Uriah. 

The  message  of  Leviticus  concerning  redemp- 
tion is  naturally  connected  with  this  message 
concerning  sin.  This  also  is  threefold.  Re- 
demption is  founded  upon  righteousness.  Re- 
demption is  only  possible  by  blood — that  is,  by 
life  poured  out.  Redemption  is  in  order  to  holi- 
ness. 

Redemption  is  founded  upon  righteousness. 
It  is  not  the  operation  of  a  pity  which  says  that 
sin  is  of  no  consequence.  There  can  be  no  res- 
toratiop  of  man  to  God,  save  upon  the  basis  of 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS         61 

right;  and  the  activity  of  tenderness  is  always 
that  of  the  severity  of  righteousness. 

Redemption  is  only  possible  by  blood.  The 
writer  of  the  letter  to  the  Hebrews  gathered  up 
the  whole  message  of  the  Levitical  economy  in 
the  words,  "  Apart  from  shedding  of  blood  there 
is  no  remission."  The  shedding  of  blood  is  life 
given  up.  It  is  necessary  to  make  this  statement 
emphatically,  because  it  is  now  sometimes  asked 
whether  it  is  not  permissible  to  say  that  we  are 
saved  by  life,  rather  than  by  blood,  seeing  that 
the  old  economy  declared  that  "  the  blood  is  the 
life  "  ?  While  that  is  perfectly  true,  it  would  still 
be  utterly  false  to  say  that  the  teaching  of  Levit- 
icus is  that  a  man  is  saved  by  life.  It  teaches 
rather  that  he  can  only  be  saved  by  life  given  up, 
given  up  through  suffering — not  by  blood,  but 
by  blood-shedding.  The  ancient  symbolism  was 
indeed  awful  and  appalling,  but  the  final  weight 
of  awe  and  horror  ought  to  be  that  of  the  sin 
which  made  such  symbolism  necessary,  in  order 
to  teach  its  real  meaning  to  God.  There  are  those 
who  speak  of  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  the 
shedding  of  blood  as  being  objectionable  and 
vulgar.  The  shedding  of  blood  is  objectionable; 
it  is  awful,  it  is  dastardly ;  but  it  is  the  ultimate 


62         THE  MESSAGE  OF  LEVITICUS 

expression  of  the  activity  of  sin ;  and  the  whole 
meaning  of  the  appalling  truth  is  that  sin,  in  the 
universe,  touches  the  very  life  of  God  with 
wounding. 

I  know  the  book  of  Leviticus  is  terrible  read- 
ing ;  it  is  a  tragic  story  of  blood  and  fire.  It  is 
time  that  this  living  message  was  heard  anew, 
that  sin  smites  God  in  the  face,  and  wounds  Him 
in  the  heart ;  and  that  redemption  is  the  outcome 
of  the  tender  compassion,  which  receives  the 
wounding,  and  bends  over  the  sinner,  pardoning 
him  by  virtue  of  that  infinite  and  unfathomable 
mystery  of  which  the  shedding  of  blood  is  the 
only  equivalent  symbolism. 

Redemption  is  in  order  to  holiness.  The  final 
note  of  the  message  of  Leviticus  is  that  redemp- 
tion does  not  excuse  man  from  holiness,  but  that 
it  is  the  method  by  which  man  is  made  holy. 
To  fulfill  all  the  requirements  of  the  external  rit- 
ual, and  yet  continue  in  sin,  would  be  to  commit 
the  most  heinous  sin  of  all. 

Leviticus  speaks  forevermore  of  the  awfulness 
of  sin  in  the  light  of  the  holiness  of  God,  of  the 
plenteous  redemption  springing  from  the  love  of 
God,  and  of  the  possibility  of  holiness  of  life,  cre- 
ated by  communion  with  God. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  Warning.    The  Paralysis  of  Doubt 

i.  The  Facts. 

a.  Discontent  due  to  lack  of  Confidence 

in  God. 
t.  Disaster    due    to  distorted    Vision    of 

Circumstances  and  God. 
ii.  The  Secrets. 

a.  Mixed  Motives. 

b.  Mixed  Multitudes. 
tii.  The  Results. 

a.  A  narrowed  Outlook  produced  Discon- 

tent. 

b.  The  Judgment  of  Sight  produced  Panic. 

II.  Comfort.    The  Patience  of  Jehovah 

i.  Provision. 

a.  Order  arranged. 

b.  Purity  demanded. 

c.  Worship  provided  for. 

d.  Movement  ordered. 
«.  Patience. 

a.  The  Methods. 

b.  The  Fact. 
fii.  Persistence. 

a.  Back  to  Kadesh-Barnea. 

b.  The  whole  Process  to  Messiah  assured. 


I.  Of  Comfort 

i.  God  cannot  be  defeated. 
ii.  God's  Methods  are  perfect, 
iii.  God's  Provisions  are  sufficient. 

II.  Of  Warning 

i.  The   Crisis   of  Kadesh-Barne* 
comes. 

To  the  Individual. 
To  the  Church, 
ii.  Everything  depends  upon  our 

Attitude  to  God. 

iii.  Our  Attitudes  towards  the  Op- 
portunity reveal  our  Attitude 
towards  God. 

iv.  If  we  are  failing,  why  ? 
Mixed  Motives. 
Mixed  Multitudes. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS 

AGAIN  it  is  necessary  to  draw  attention  to 
the  close  connection  between  this  book 
and  those  which  have  preceded  it.  The 
story  is  a  continuation  of  that  which  has  gone 
before.  In  order  to  see  this  clearly,  let  us  read 
two  verses  in  close  connection,  the  former  being 
the  seventeenth  verse  of  the  fortieth  chapter  of 
Exodus,  and  the  latter  the  first  verse  of  the  first 
chapter  in  Numbers. 

"  And  it  came  to  pass,  in  the  first  month  in 
the  second  year,  on  the  first  day  of  the  month, 
that  the  tabernacle  was  reared  up." 

"  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  wil- 
derness of  Sinai,  in  the  tent  of  meeting,  on  the 
first  day  of  the  second  month,  in  the  second  year 
after  they  were  come  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt." 

The  tabernacle  was  finished,  and  the  glory  of 
the  Lord  descended  and  filled  it  on  the  first  day 
of  the  first  month  of  the  second  year ;  and  the 
command  to  Moses  to  number  the  people  with  a 
view  to  their  passing  over  into  possession  of  the 
land  was  given  in  the  same  year  in  the  second 

65 


66  THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS 

month  on  the  first  day.  Thus  there  was  a  month 
between  the  story  with  which  Exodus  ends  and 
that  with  which  Numbers  begins. 

The  book  of  Numbers  opens  and  closes  in  the 
same  region  geographically.  In  the  opening 
part  of  the  book  we  find  the  Israelites  on  the 
margin  of  the  land.  At  the  close  of  the  book  we 
find  them  again  on  the  margin  of  the  land.  In 
the  first  part  of  the  story  they  were  perfectly  pre- 
pared, so  far  as  organization  was  concerned,  for 
passing  into  the  land.  At  the  close  of  the  book 
they  are  seen  perfectly  prepared,  so  far  as  organ- 
ization is  concerned,  for  passing  into  the  land. 
Between  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  the  book 
there  is  an  interval  of  about  forty  years.  These 
were  years  of  arrested  progress  in  the  history  of 
the  nation,  and  of  definite  progress  in  the  Divine 
Self-revelation ;  and  therefore  in  the  Divine 
process. 

Let  us  carefully  note  the  connection  of  this 
book  of  Numbers,  not  merely  as  to  its  record  of 
historic  facts,  but  in  its  relation  to  the  process  of 
revelation. 

Genesis  teaches  two  principal  truths ;  first,  the 
essential  relation  between  God  and  man ;  sec- 
ondly, that  faith  is  the  principle  upon  which  man 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS          67 

lives,  for  the  pleasing  of  God,  and  the  realization 
of  his  own  life. 

Exodus  takes  up  that  principle  of  faith,  and  ex- 
pounds it  more  fully  ;  giving  us  a  vision  of  God 
in  government,  and  of  those  human  attitudes  to 
that  government  which  are  inclusively  expressed 
in  the  word  "  faith."  Divine  government  is  seen 
as  proceeding  upon  the  foundation  of  righteous- 
ness and  judgment.  The  human  attitudes  of  the 
life  of  faith  are  those  of  worship  and  obedience. 

The  book  of  Leviticus  deals  with  worship,  re- 
vealing, first,  the  fact  of  sin  as  constituting  the 
need  of  man  ;  and  finally,  the  fact  of  redemption 
as  constituting  the  provision  of  God  for  meeting 
that  need.  Thus,  while  Exodus  reveals  the  hu- 
man attitudes  of  worship  and  obedience,  Leviti- 
cus deals  with  worship,  and  Numbers  with 
obedience. 

While  Numbers  tells  a  sad  story  of  disobe- 
dience, its  message  is  one  concerning  the  im- 
portance of  obedience.  It  shows  how,  under  the 
government  of  God,  disobedience  was  overruled 
to  obedience  by  discipline.  The  message  of 
Numbers  we  shall  endeavour  to  discover,  as  on 
previous  occasions,  by  dwelling  first  upon  the 
permanent  values  of  the  book,  which  consist  in 


68          THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS 

its  revelations  of  the  paralysis  of  doubt,  and  the 
patience  o!  Jehovah.  It  is  a  book  of  warning,  as 
it  deals  with  the  former ;  and  a  book  of  comfort, 
as  it  reveals  the  latter. 

In  considering  the  warning  of  the  book,  we 
begin  with  the  second  division,  which  consists  of 
the  story  of  exclusion  and  wandering.  The  first 
fact  recorded  is  that  of  the  incipient  discontent 
existing  among  the  people.  One  month  after  the 
filling  of  the  tabernacle  with  the  glory  of  God, 
that  marvellous  revelation  of  His  actual  presence 
amongst  them,  Jehovah  heard  their  murmuring. 
At  first  there  was  no  definite  statement  of  com- 
plaint. The  unrest  had  not  broken  out  into  or- 
ganized manifestation.  That  came  later.  There 
was  wide-spread  discontent  due  to  doubt,  which 
was  really  lack  of  confidence  in  God.  We  must 
not  underestimate  the  difficulty  of  the  position 
those  people  occupied.  The  process  of  organiz- 
ing a  disorganized  people  into  national  conscious- 
ness is  never  an  easy  one  to  the  people  them- 
selves. There  is  a  freedom  in  slavery  which  men 
miss  when  they  emerge  into  the  freedom  which 
abolishes  slavery.  When  the  slaves  were  set 
free  in  the  United  States  of  America,  the  Govern- 
ment had  to  face  a  problem  which  they  have  not 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS          69 

solved  until  this  moment.  The  negroes  came 
out  of  slavery,  in  which  there  was  freedom — evil 
freedom,  pernicious  freedom,  freedom  from  the 
necessity  for  thought,  or  planning,  or  organiza- 
tion— into  a  liberty  in  which  there  was  necessity 
for  organization  and  order.  The  process  is  not 
an  easy  one,  and  the  work  is  not  yet  accom- 
plished. So  the  Israelites  had  been  slaves  in  the 
land  of  Goshen  ;  their  tasks  were  appointed,  and 
their  taskmasters  compelled  their  obedience. 
Their  difficulties  had  been  great,  their  bondage 
cruel,  but  they  were  free  from  the  necessity  for 
thought  and  arrangement.  Having  escaped  from 
the  taskmaster,  they  imagined  that  freedom  meant 
escape  from  rule.  They  had  been  taught  in  the 
year  of  their  encampment  under  the  shadow  of 
the  mountain  that  they  had  to  submit  to  law, 
and  it  was  irksome  to  them,  and  they  became 
discontented.  This  discontent  resulted  from  lack 
of  perfect  confidence  in  God. 

Then  follows  the  story  of  Kadesh-Barnea  and 
the  disaster  that  overtook  them  there.  The  spies 
were  sent,  the  minority  and  majority  reports  were 
submitted  ;  and  as  is  almost  invariably  the  case, 
the  minority  report  was  the  true  one.  The  ma- 
jority declared  the  land  to  be  fair  and  beautiful, 


70          THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS 

but  impossible  of  possession,  because  of  the  giants 
and  the  walled  cities.  The  men  of  the  minority 
also  saw  the  giants,  and  the  walled  cities,  but 
they  saw  God.  The  majority  had  lost  the  clear 
vision  of  God,  and  therefore  were  filled  with  fear 
by  the  Anakim  and  the  walled  cities.  With  the 
loss  of  clear  vision  there  was  the  loss  of  perfect 
confidence. 

The  secrets  of  this  failure  were  mixed  motives 
and  mixed  multitudes.  Murmuring  is  the  ex- 
pression of  selfishness.  Selfishness  is  due  to  a 
lack  of  singleness  of  motive.  Had  these  people 
perfectly  appreciated  the  fact  that  they  were 
being  created  a  nation  to  fulfill  the  purpose  of 
God  in  the  world,  and  had  they  been  utterly 
abandoned  to  that  as  the  one  single  motive, 
there  had  been  no  murmuring.  When  they 
murmured,  it  was  for  the  fleshpots,  for  "the 
leeks  and  the  onions  and  the  garlic."  They  at- 
tempted compromise  between  being  a  nation  of 
Jehovah,  and  a  people  seeking  their  own  comfort. 
These  mixed  motives  issued  in  murmuring. 

There  were  not  only  mixed  motives,  there 
were  mixed  multitudes.  They  are  found  first  in 
Exodus,  and  last  in  Nehemiah.  When  coming 
out  of  Egypt,  the  Israelites  were  accompanied 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS          71 

by  mixed  multitudes.  In  Leviticus  we  find  one 
graphic  picture  of  the  result,  a  mixed  marriage 
between  an  Israelitish  woman  and  an  Egyptian 
man,  with  offspring  which  violated  the  law  of 
God,  and  brought  fresh  punishment  in  conse- 
quence. These  mixed  multitudes  fell  to  mur- 
muring. The  results  were  a  narrowed  outlook 
producing  discontent,  and  the  judgment  of  sight 
producing  panic.  Such  is  the  first  permanent 
value  of  the  book  of  Numbers.  It  reveals  to  us 
the  fact  that  when  men  lose  their  vision  of  God, 
doubt  produces  discontent  and  disaster. 

When  we  turn  to  the  other  side  of  the  story, 
we  find  the  comfort  of  the  patience  of  Jehovah. 
That  is  an  all-inclusive  definition.  Notice  first 
the  provision  that  Jehovah  made  for  these  people, 
as  recorded  in  the  first  ten  chapters.  Notice  next 
the  patience  of  Jehovah,  as  revealed  in  chapters 
eleven  to  twenty-five.  Notice  finally  the  per- 
sistence of  Jehovah,  as  manifested  in  chapters 
twenty-six  to  thirty-six. 

The  provision  of  Jehovah  consisted  in  the 
order  of  the  camp  arranged ;  the  purity  of  the 
camp  demanded ;  the  worship  of  the  camp  pro- 
vided for ;  and  the  movement  of  the  camp  ordered, 
immediately  under  Divine  guidance  by  the  cloud. 


72          THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS 

The  patience  of  God  is  the  supreme  revelation 
of  the  book.  This  patience  is  not  incompetent 
carelessness,  but  powerful  carefulness.  Its  meth- 
ods are  many.  He  punished  the  people  for 
wrong-doing,  but  always  towards  the  realization 
of  purpose.  He  placed  them  in  circumstances 
which  developed  the  facts  of  their  inner  life,  until 
they  knew  them  for  themselves.  That  is  the 
meaning  of  the  forty  years  in  the  wilderness. 
They  were  not  years  in  which  God  had  with- 
drawn Himself  from  the  people  and  refused  to 
have  anything  to  do  with  them.  Every  year 
was  necessary  for  the  teaching  of  a  lesson,  and 
the  revealing  of  a  truth.  As  Moses  declared  to 
them,  "  Thou  shalt  remember  all  the  way  which 
the  Lord  thy  God  hath  led  thee  these  forty  years 
in  the  wilderness,  that  He  might  humble  thee,  to 
prove  thee,  to  know  what  was  in  thine  heart, 
whether  thou  wouldest  keep  His  commandments 
or  no." 

His  method  was  also  that  of  the  adaptation  of 
laws  to  new  surroundings.  The  story  of  the 
daughters  of  Zelophehad  illustrates  this.  God 
listened  to  the  complaint  of  these  women,  and 
made  provision  for  them,  adapting  His  laws — 
do  not  misunderstand  that  phrase,  never  lower- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS          73 

ing  the  standard  of  righteousness — adapting  His 
laws  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  people,  as 
they  passed  on  their  way. 

Finally,  His  patience  was  evidenced  by  the 
supernatural  protection  of  these  people.  The  re- 
sources of  God  were  all  at  their  disposal.  What- 
ever they  needed,  He  supplied.  Thus  through 
all  the  years  we  see  the  overruling  of  the  patient 
God ;  not  patient  in  the  self-centred  method  of 
abandoning  a  failing  people,  leaving  them,  if 
possible,  to  work  out  their  own  salvation ;  but 
with  the  patience  that  refused  to  abandon  them, 
and  thus  enabled  them  to  work  out  their  own 
salvation. 

The  patience  of  God  was  persistent.  He  led 
them  back  finally  to  Kadesh-Barnea ;  and  thus 
the  whole  process  necessary  to  the  ultimate  com- 
ing of  the  Messiah,  and  the  full  realization  of  the 
Divine  purpose,  was  assured. 

Thus  we  find,  as  we  read  the  book  of  Num- 
bers, two  things  forever  sounding  in  our  ears — 
the  paralysis  of  doubt,  and  the  patience  of 
Jehovah. 

From  these  I  deduce  the  living  message  of 
the  book  to  our  own  age.  I  begin  with  the  last 
first.  Numbers  speaks  to  this  age  a  threefold 


74          THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS 

message  of  comfort.  It  declares  that  God  can- 
not ultimately  be  defeated.  It  reveals  the  fact 
that  His  methods  are  perfect.  It  says  to  all 
trusting  souls  that  His  provisions  are  sufficient,  if 
they  will  but  appropriate  them. 

It  declares  that  God  cannot  be  defeated.  We 
saw  in  Exodus  that  God  cannot  be  defeated  by 
the  opposition  of  enemies,  as  we  studied  His 
majestic  procedure  against  the  obstinacy  of 
Pharaoh.  There  are  those  who  believe  this,  but 
who  are  not  quite  sure  that  He  cannot  be  de- 
feated by  the  failure  of  His  instruments.  The 
book  of  Numbers  corrects  this  false  impression. 
It  is  the  story  of  a  failing  people.  At  the  very 
outset,  one  month  from  the  descent  of  the  glory, 
they  murmured  through  lack  of  faith.  Was  the 
purpose  of  God  defeated  ?  By  no  means.  There 
are  senses  in  which  those  who  bear  His  name, 
and  deliver  His  message  may — measuring  al- 
ways by  human  standards — postpone  the  issue  ; 
but  they  can  never  finally  prevent  it.  As  I  read 
this  book,  I  watch  the  movements  of  God,  and 
my  heart  sings  a  song  of  joy  as  I  see  that  He 
cannot  ultimately  be  defeated. 

It  teaches  me,  in  the  next  place,  that  God's 
methods  are  perfect.  Note  some  of  the  emphases 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS          75 

of  that  revelation.  God  will  not  spoil  the  result 
even  by  sparing  Moses.  There  is  no  greater 
comfort  than  that  to  be  derived  from  the  convic- 
tion that  God  will  never  allow  His  love  to  inter- 
fere with  His  absolute  loyalty  to  the  principles  of 
His  own  Being.  It  is,  however,  equally  true  that 
He  will  not  fail  to  recognize  fidelity  in  the  midst 
of  infidelity.  The  men  who  bore  the  majority 
report  died  in  the  wilderness;  but  Caleb  and 
Joshua  were  preserved,  and  finally  entered  the 
land.  Yet  again,  God  will  not  cast  off  the  frail- 
est, while  there  remains  any  opportunity  for 
bringing  them  into  harmony  with  His  mind  and 
will.  While  there  is  the  remotest  chance  of  my 
remaking,  He  waits  for  me,  and  bears  with  me  in 
tender  love  through  the  processes  of  pain,  by 
which  He  works  to  purge  me  from  dross, 
and  realize  in  me  that  upon  which  His  heart  is 
set. 

God  ordinarily  works  through  natural  proc- 
esses, but  interferes  by  supernatural  means 
whenever  it  is  necessary  for  Him  to  do  so.  It  is 
the  fashion  of  the  hour  to  deny  the  stories  of  past 
supernatural  interventions,  on  the  ground  that 
there  are  no  such  operations  of  God  to-day.  It 
would  be  more  correct  to  say  that  men  are  so 


76          THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS 

blind  that  they  do  not  see  the  goings  of  God. 
We  still  speak  of  remarkable  coincidences  which, 
if  we  did  but  view  from  the  true  height,  we 
should  discover  were  remarkable  interpositions  of 
God. 

The  final  note  of  comfort  is  the  revelation  of 
the  book  that  God's  provisions  are  sufficient  for 
the  fulfillment  of  all  the  needs  of  life  and  service. 
He  has  always  proved  Himself  sufficient  in 
resource  for  such  souls  as  have  really  put  their 
trust  in  Him,  for  the  needs  of  their  own  life,  and 
the  demands  of  their  service. 

Turning  to  the  warning  message  of  the  book 
of  Numbers,  the  first  point  of  emphasis  must  be 
that  the  crisis  at  Kadesh-Barnea  always  comes  to 
the  individual,  and  to  the  Church  of  God.  Per- 
sonally I  think  we  are  justified  in  carrying  that 
statement  further,  and  saying  that  it  comes  also 
to  the  nation,  and  that  Russell  Lowell  was  right 
when  he  sang, 

"  Once  to  every  man  and  nation 
Comes  the  moment  to  decide." 

We,  however,  will  confine  ourselves  to  its  applica- 
tion to  the  individual,  and  to  the  Church.  With 
regard  to  the  individual,  I  only  pause  to  say  that 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS          77 

the  crisis  inevitably  comes  when  faith  is  con- 
fronted by  walled  cities  and  Anakim,  and  is 
called  upon  to  proceed  against  them  in  simple 
confidence  in  God.  What  we  do  in  the  crisis  al- 
ways depends  upon  whether  we  see  the  difficulties 
in  the  light  of  God,  or  God  in  the  shadow  of  the 
difficulties. 

The  crisis  comes  over  and  over  again  to  the 
Church  of  God.  In  the  past  she  has  sometimes 
passed  into  possession,  but  too  often  has  passed 
back  to  the  beggarly  experiences  of  the  wilder- 
ness. At  this  hour  the  whole  Church  is  at 
Kadesh-Barnea.  God  is  calling  her  to  go  out 
and  possess  the  nations  in  the  name  of  the  Christ, 
with  a  new  urgency,  created  by  the  opening  of 
all  the  doors  of  opportunity.  At  this  moment 
in  very  deed  the  whole  land  is  before  us.  What 
are  we  going  to  do  ?  Everything  depends  upon 
whether  we  see  the  walled  cities  and  the  giants, 
or  God.  Nothing  less  than  a  triumphant  faith, 
born  of  a  clear  vision  of  God  Himself,  will  enable 
us  to  go  forward.  It  is  only  faith  which  can  co- 
operate towards  infinite  issues.  Sight  can  do 
small  things.  Faith  alone  is  equal  to  infinite 
things.  Sight  can  build  a  coffee-tavern  in  a 
slum,  and  perhaps  it  is  worth  doing;  but  to 


;8          THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS 

suggest  to  sight  the  building  of  the  city  of  God 
is  to  fill  it  with  panic  in  the  presence  of  all  the 
difficulties.  The  question  of  the  hour  for  the 
Church  is  one  as  to  her  relationship  to  God. 
The  question  of  the  hour  in  foreign  missions  is 
not  a  question  of  finance ;  it  is  not  a  question  of 
men.  It  is  only  whether  the  Church  is  prepared 
to  obey  in  faith.  If  we  listen  to  the  reports  of 
men  who  judge  by  sight,  we  shall  do  nothing. 
We  shall  be  told  that  the  task  of  evangelizing 
Japan  is  hopeless,  because  the  ethic  of  its  own 
religion  is  sufficient  for  its  need.  We  shall  be 
told  that  it  is  a  perilous  thing  to  enter  China,  be- 
cause revolt  is  incipient  everywhere,  and  pres- 
ently will  manifest  itself  in  rebellion.  We  shall 
be  told  of  unrest  in  India,  and  that  missionaries 
ought  not  to  imperil  their  lives  by  going  there. 
In  brief,  we  shall  hear  only  of  the  walled  cities 
and  the  Anakim. 

Oh,  for  Calebs  and  Joshuas,  who  are  prepared 
to  say,  Anakim,  yes ;  walled  cities,  certainly ; 
hindrance  upon  hindrance ;  but  these  all  in  the 
light  of  God.  Oh,  for  the  spirit  of  Paul,  who 
wrote :  "  I  will  tarry  at  Ephesus  until  Pentecost, 
for  a  great  door  and  effectual  is  opened  unto  me, 
and  there  are  many  adversaries."  He  saw  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS          79 

open  door,  and  the  adversaries ;  and  both  of 
them  combined  to  constitute  the  reason  of  his 
determined  tarrying-  at  the  post  of  duty. 

The  living  message  of  this  book  of  Numbers 
is  that  everything  depends  upon  our  attitude 
towards  God.  Let  that,  however,  be  stated,  for 
the  purpose  of  heart  investigation,  in  another 
way.  Our  attitude  towards  opportunities  re- 
veals our  attitude  towards  God.  Are  we  mur- 
muring and  discontented  with  the  method  of  the 
Divine  government  ?  Let  us  beware  lest  the  fire 
of  God  break  forth  upon  us  in  anger.  Are  we 
afraid  in  the  presence  of  the  problems  at  home, 
and  the  tremendous  opportunities  abroad  ?  Then 
let  us  remember  that  our  fear  is  born  of  our  lack 
of  faith.  The  man  discontented  with  all  that  the 
life  of  faith  means  looks  back  to  the  land  of 
bondage,  and  sighs  for  the  leeks  and  onions  and 
garlic.  His  lust  for  these  is  evidence  of  his  lack 
of  fellowship  with  God.  The  man  who  is  look- 
ing at  the  lands  to  be  possessed,  and  recognizing 
all  the  glory  of  the  fruitage,  and  the  beauty  of 
the  pasture,  but  will  not  go  up  because  of  the 
difficulties,  has  lost  his  vision  of  God. 

They  were  discontented  and  afraid — why? 
The  answer  of  Numbers  is  the  answer  of  to-day. 


80          THE  MESSAGE  OF  NUMBERS 

False  attitudes  are  created  by  mixed  motives  and 
mixed  multitudes. 

Mixed  motives.  I  speak,  as  God  is  my  wit- 
ness, to  my  own  heart.  Art  thou  afraid  of  the 
toilsome  pathway,  and  the  weary  battle,  and  the 
bruising  ?  Then  it  is  because  selfishness  is  still 
dominant.  When  the  eye  is  single,  the  heart 
undivided,  and  love  unified  upon  the  one  prin- 
ciple of  winning  God's  victory,  there  is  no  halt- 
ing, no  turning  back.  The  old  Hebrew  phrase, 
"  a  pure  heart,"  more  truly  translated,  is  "  an  un- 
divided heart."  In  order  to  do  God's  work  in 
the  world,  we  need  the  undivided  heart. 

Turning  from  the  individual  to  the  Church ; 
the  reason  of  her  halting  is  the  mixed  multitudes. 
We  shall  always  be  paralyzed  as  long  as  we  con- 
sent to  be  patronized  by  worldliness  inside  the 
Church.  We  shall  never  be  strong  while  into 
the  assemblies,  where  we  consider  our  mission- 
ary obligation,  we  admit  the  counsel  of  men  of 
sight. 

God  is  ready.    Are  we? 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  God's  Love  of  Man  the  Motive  of  His 
Government 

This  the  Burden  of  the  Retrospective 

and  Prospective  Sections. 
L  The  Retrospective. 

a.  History.  Deut.  iv.  37. 

b.  Law.     Deut  x.  12-15. 
i.  The  Prospective. 

a.  The  Song. 

b.  The  Blessing. 

(I.  Man'g  Love  of  God  the  Motive  of  His 
Obedience 

This  emphasized  in  the  Retrospective 
as  to  Law  ;  and  in  the  Introspec- 
tive as  to  Covenant-keeping. 
i.  Law.    Deut.  v.  10.    Quoted  from  Ex- 

odus. 
**      vi.  5.    The  Comprehen- 

sive. 

"     x.  12.    Relation  to  Love 
of  God. 


d.  Covenant. 

Deut.  xxx.  6.  The  circumcized  Heart. 
"        "       15,    1  6,    19,  20.     The 
Principle  of  choice. 


I.  The  Affirmations 

i.  God's    Laws  are  the  Expression  of 
His  Love. 
Necessarily. 
Perfectly. 

ii.  Man's     Love    is    demonstrated    b} 
Obedience. 

Only  Love  will  submit  to  their 

Severity. 

Obedience   the   final  Proof   of 
Confidence. 


II.  The  Arguments 

i.  The  Revelations  of  History, 
ii.  The  Issues  of  Law. 


III.  The  Appeal 

i.  Know  God. 
ii.  Love  God. 
iii.  Obey  God. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

THE  opening  and  closing  statements  of 
Deuteronomy  constitute  the  boundaries 
of  the  book,  and  give  us  the  key  to  its 
interpretation.  Its  opening  words  are:  "These 
be  the  words  which  Moses  spake  unto  all  Israel, 
beyond  Jordan  in  the  wilderness,  in  the  Arabah 
over  against  Suph,  between  Paran,  and  Tophel, 
and  Laban,  and  Hazeroth,  and  Di-zahab."  Its 
closing  declaration,  written  in  all  probability  by 
the  hand  of  Joshua,  is,  "  There  hath  not  arisen  a 
prophet  since  in  Israel  like  unto  Moses,  whom 
Jehovah  knew  face  to  face ;  in  all  the  signs  and 
the  wonders,  which  Jehovah  sent  him  to  do  in 
the  land  of  Egypt,  to  Pharaoh,  and  to  all  his 
servants,  and  to  all  his  land ;  and  in  all  the 
mighty  hand,  and  in  all  the  great  terror,  which 
Moses  wrought  in  the  sight  of  all  Israel." 

The  book  contains  the  final  words  of  Moses  to 
the  chosen  people,  and  they  are  words  resulting 
from  his  "  face  to  face  "  friendship  with  Jehovah. 
This  friendship,  with  its  intimate  knowledge  of 

83 


84    THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

God — a  knowledge  which  gleams  through  all 
these  final  words — was  the  result  of  the  process 
and  progress  of  revelation.  Moses  could  not 
have  delivered  these  prophecies  on  the  day  after 
he  had  escaped  from  Egypt.  He  had  much  to 
learn.  The  messages  recorded  in  Deuteronomy 
repeat  things  already  said,  but  with  a  new  tone 
and  a  new  emphasis,  and  there  is  felt  a  new  at- 
mosphere in  their  utterance.  The  tone,  emphasis, 
and  atmosphere  are  due  to  the  fact  that  progress- 
ively Moses  had  come  to  such  full  knowledge  of 
God  that  the  man  who  wrote  the  last  page  of 
the  book  of  Deuteronomy  had  to  say  of  him  that 
he  was  a  prophet  who  knew  God  "  face  to  face." 
It  would  be  an  interesting  theme  to  trace  care- 
fully the  development,  and  to  notice  the  progress 
of  Moses'  knowledge  of  God.  I  shall  content 
myself  with  two  or  three  brief  sentences,  indicat- 
ing not  so  much  his  progress,  as  the  processes 
which  resulted  therein. 

When  three  months  old,  the  child  was  com- 
mitted to  the  Nile,  by  faith  in  God,  as  the  writer 
of  the  letter  to  the  Hebrews  tells  us.  By  sweet 
art  the  mother  contrived  to  nurse  the  boy.  How 
long  that  continued,  we  do  not  know.  Quite 
long  enough,  in  all  probability,  for  her  to  have 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY    85 

soothed  him  to  sleep  with  stories  of  his  own 
people,  and  to  have  implanted  in  his  mind 
thoughts  of  God  which  could  never  be  obliter- 
ated. His  training  in  the  Egyptian  court  played 
no  unimportant  part  in  his  discovery  of  truth 
concerning  God.  It  was  training  by  contrast. 
In  the  Mosaic  economy  the  influence  of  Egyp- 
tian forms  of  worship  is  to  be  discovered.  For 
instance,  Egypt  in  its  religious  rites  made  use  of 
sacred  arks,  but  they  contained  a  piece  of  stone, 
a  serpent,  water  from  the  Nile,  or  something 
material,  and  often  base.  In  the  loneliness  of 
the  wilderness  God  taught  His  servant  that  in 
all  these  things  there  were  the  form,  the  possi- 
bility, the  principle ;  but  that  they  needed  to  be 
corrected  at  the  centre.  When  he  constructed 
the  sacred  ark  according  to  pattern,  it  received 
holy  things,  the  symbols  of  a  holy  God,  who 
could  only  be  approached  by  sacrifice.  Thus  at 
the  court  of  Pharaoh,  he  was  prepared  for  the 
contrasts  which  were  to  follow. 

Then  came  the  forty  years  in  the  wilderness. 
I  do  not  sympathize  with  those  who  pity  Moses 
as  he  left  the  court  of  Egypt,  and  went  down 
into  the  wilderness.  There  was  far  more  gran- 
deur in  the  rough,  rugged  mountains,  and  God's 


86    THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

overarching  sky,  than  in  anything  Egypt  pos- 
sessed. In  the  quiet  meditation  of  those  forty 
years  he  came  nearer  to  God,  gazing  upon  the 
wonders  of  nature,  touching  the  fringes  of  His 
force,  aid  baring  his  soul  to  the  influences  of 
His  JMajesty.  Next  in  order  came  the  more 
dire'.t  visions  and  revelations  which  were  neces- 
sary for  his  work.  First,  that  at  the  burning 
'msh,  and  the  uttering  of  the  unutterable  fact,  "  I 
\M  THAT  I  AM."  For  forty  years  he  had  been 
in  the  presence  of  God,  had  seen  His  might  dif- 
fused through  mountains  and  plains,  in  storms 
and  calms,  in  stars  and  stones,  until  at  last,  in 
one  solitary  scrub  bush  in  the  wilderness,  there 
gleamed  the  Glory  that  he  had  never  seen — a 
Presence  spoke,  and  the  voice  said :  "I  AM  THAT 
I  AM." 

A  little  later  the  word  "  I  am  "  was  linked  with 
the  great  name  of  Jehovah.  Then  Moses  dis- 
covered that  the  God,  the  fringes  of  whose  gar- 
ments he  had  touched  for  forty  years,  and  whose 
glory  had  burned  in  the  bush,  and  whose  voice 
he  had  heard  out  of  the  mystic  splendour,  was 
a  God  ready  to  become  everything  His  people 
needed. 

After  a  while  he  longed  for  a  fuller  revelation, 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY    87 

and  cried  out  of  the  depth  of  his  heart  hunger, 
"  Show  me,  I  pray  Thee,  Thy  glory,"  and  God 
answered,  "  I  will  make  all  My  goodness  pass 
before  thee."  Then  he  learned  that  God's  glory 
is  His  goodness. 

Then  followed  another  forty  years  of  wilder- 
ness wandering,  during  which  he  discovered  that 
the  foundation  of  the  throne  of  God  was  right- 
eousness and  judgment,  saw  the  goodness  of 
God,  marked  His  patience,  learned  His  heart; 
and  finally,  out  of  that  full  knowledge,  delivered 
his  last  messages  to  his  people. 

These  discourses  constitute  a  survey  of  the 
whole  economy  of  God  in  relation  to  His  people. 
There  are  six  of  them,  falling  into  three  groups. 
The  first  two  are  retrospective ;  the  second  two 
are  introspective ;  the  last  two  are  prospective. 
Through  all,  there  runs  a  new  note  of  love.  The 
former  facts  are  repeated ;  the  sovereignty  of 
God  is  insisted  upon ;  the  obedience  of  man  is 
called  for ;  but  these  facts  are  now  set  in  relation 
to  love.  This  is  no  mere  piece  of  imagination. 
The  word  love,  as  indicating  relationship  be- 
tween God  and  man,  occurs  only  once  in  Exodus, 
when  God  declares  that  He  shows  "  mercy  unto 
thousands  of  them  that  love  Me  and  keep  My 


88    THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

commandments "  ;  and  as  indicating  relation- 
ship between  man  and  man,  once  in  Leviticus: 
"  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself."  The 
word  love  is  a  lonely  stranger  in  the  first  four 
books. 

Everything  is  changed  in  the  book  of  Deu- 
teronomy. Its  supreme  and  overwhelming  mes" 
sage  is  that  of  love.  To  understand  this  will 
enable  us  to  state  the  permanent  values,  and  to 
deduce  the  living  message. 

The  permanent  values  are  two ;  first,  that 
God's  love  of  man  is  the  motive  of  His  gov- 
ernment ;  and  secondly,  that  man's  love  of  God 
is  the  motive  of  his  obedience. 

God's  love  of  man  is  the  motive  of  His  gov- 
ernment. This  is  the  special  burden  of  the  retro- 
spective and  prospective  sections.  In  the  close 
of  the  first  discourse,  which  was  a  retrospect  of 
the  history  of  the  people,  Moses  declared  :  "  Be- 
cause He  loved  thy  fathers,  therefore  He  chose 
their  seed  after  them,  and  brought  thee  out  with 
His  Presence,  with  His  great  power,  out  of 
Egypt."  By  that  statement  he  revealed  his  con- 
viction that  the  inspiration  of  God's  government 
was  His  love. 

The  next  discourse  was  a  resume  of  laws,  in 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY    89 

which  there  was  no  lowering  of  the  standard  of 
righteous  requirement,  but  remarkable  interpreta- 
tion of  the  meaning  of  the  laws  upon  which  He  still 
insisted  :  "  And  now,  Israel,  what  doth  the  Lord 
thy  God  require  of  thee,  but  to  fear  the  Lord  thy 
God,  to  walk  in  all  His  ways,  and  to  love  Him, 
and  to  serve  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  to  keep  the  commandments 
of  the  Lord,  and  His  statutes,  which  I  command 
thee  this  day  for  thy  good  ?  Behold,  unto  the 
Lord  thy  God  belongeth  the  heaven,  and  the 
heaven  of  heavens,  the  earth,  with  all  that  therein 
is.  Only  the  Lord  had  a  delight  in  thy  fathers 
to  love  them,  and  He  chose  their  seed  after  them, 
even  you  above  all  peoples,  as  at  this  day."  In- 
sisting upon  the  necessity  for  their  obedience  to 
the  laws  which  he  had  reviewed,  he  declared  that 
they  were  the  outcome  of  the  love  of  God. 

Thus,  as  he  looked  back  over  the  history,  he 
said  that  it  was  a  history  of  the  government  of 
love ;  and  as  he  recapitulated  the  laws,  he  de- 
clared that  they  were  the  outcome  of  love. 

The  last  two  discourses  consist  of  the  song  and 
the  blessing.  In  that  song,  love  is  never  men- 
tioned ;  but  it  breathes  the  spirit  of  love  from  be- 
ginning to  end.  It  is  a  song  of  God's  triumph 


90    THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

over  unfaithfulness.  Paean  and  dirge  alternate 
throughout ;  the  story  of  the  Divine  faithfulness, 
and  of  human  unfaithfulness.  Is  there  any  love 
song  ever  sung  so  mighty  as  that  which  tells  of 
love,  which  triumphs  over  the  unfaithfulness  of 
the  loved  one  ?  That  is  the  deepest  truth  about 
God,  and  Moses  celebrated  it  in  his  final  song. 
These  people  were  to  be  dispersed,  and  Moses 
foretold  the  dispersion ;  and  then,  at  the  com- 
mand of  God,  wrote  the  song,  and  taught  it  to 
the  people.  A  song  will  linger  in  the  heart  long 
after  a  code  of  ethics  has  been  forgotten.  Many 
a  man  who  has  broken  all  the  laws  of  his  country 
and  his  God,  in  some  distant  land,  has  been  wooed 
back  to  mother  and  to  God  by  some  old  song. 
So  Moses  wrote  the  song  of  a  love  that  through 
pain,  if  necessary,  will  proceed  towards  the  fulfill- 
ment of  its  own  high  purpose. 

The  last  words  of  Moses  were  of  blessing  only. 
His  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  far  distant  day 
when  the  tribes  should  be  restored,  and  fulfill  the 
first  Divine  ideal.  In  the  midst  of  the  blessing 
is  a  great  declaration,"  He  loveth  the  peoples." 
Thus,  whether  it  be  a  review  of  history,  a  resume 
of  laws,  a  song  for  the  future,  or  a  foretelling  of 
restoration,  the  last  great  message  of  the  man 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY    91 

who  knew  God  "  face  to  face "  was  that  God's 
love  was  the  motive  of  His  government 

The  other  fact  is  equally  true,  and  equally 
manifest.  Man's  love  of  God  is  the  motive  of  his 
obedience.  This  is  emphasized  in  the  retrospec- 
tive and  introspective  divisions  of  the  book ;  and 
in  each  case  in  one  discourse  preeminently. 
Man's  love  of  God  as  the  motive  of  obedience  is 
declared  in  the  repetition  of  laws,  "Showing 
mercy  unto  thousands  of  them  that  love  Me  and 
keep  My  commandments.  .  .  .  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine  heart,  and 
with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  might.  And 
these  words,  which  I  command  thee  this  day,  shall 
be  upon  thine  heart."  The  tremendous  truth 
which  Israel  was  destined  to  teach  the  world  was 
that  of  the  unity  of  God :  "  Hear,  O  Israel,  the 
Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord."  The  outcome  of 
that  truth  of  the  unity  of  God  is  the  command, 
"  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy 
might."  The  nation  and  the  individual  were  to  be 
unified  by  the  love  of  one  God.  Further  on  in 
this  discourse  promises  are  made,  and  the  condi- 
tion was  ever,  "If  ye  shall  .  .  .  love  the 
Yx>rd  vour  God."  The  expression  of  love  is 


92    THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

obedience  to  law.  Man's  love  of  God  is  the  only 
sufficient  motive  for  his  obedience  to  the  laws  of 
God. 

In  dealing  with  the  covenant,  Moses  declared 
"  The  Lord  thy  God  will  circumcise  thine  heart, 
and  the  heart  of  thy  seed,  to  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thine  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul, 
that  thou  mayest  live,"  and  so  revealed  the  secret 
of  its  keeping.  Then  in  his  last  prophetic  utter- 
ance he  again  insisted  upon  the  fact  that  the 
only  motive  sufficiently  strong  to  enable  a  man 
to  keep  the  law  of  God  is  that  of  love  to  God. 

The  permanent  values  in  this  case  constitute 
the  living  message.  To  repeat  the  values  is  to 
utter  the  message.  God's  love  of  man  is  the 
motive  of  His  government  Man's  love  of  God 
is  the  motive  of  his  obedience.  In  order  to  em- 
phasize these  truths,  let  us  hear  again  the  affir- 
mations of  this  book,  listen  to  its  arguments,  and 
attend  to  its  appeal. 

What,  then,  are  the  affirmations  ?  The  first  is 
that  God's  laws  are  the  expressions  of  His  love, 
and  that  for  two  reasons.  Because  God  is  love, 
He  cannot  make  a  law  that  is  not  an  expression 
of  His  love ;  and  because  man  needs  law,  God, 
being  love,  must  provide  it.  To  make  man.  and 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY    93 

put  him  down  in  the  world  without  government, 
would  be  to  leave  him  to  work  out  his  own  ruin. 
He  needs  law  because  he  is  finite,  and  infinite  is- 
sues lie  all  about  him ;  and  it  is  necessary  that  he 
should  know  the  laws  of  the  infinite  in  order  to 
obey  them.  Love,  then,  is  the  inspiration  of 
God's  government  of  a  nation,  or  of  a  man. 

The  affirmation  of  the  book,  on  the  other  side, 
is  that  man's  love  of  God  is  the  motive  of  his 
obedience.  Nothing  but  love  will  submit  to  the 
severity  of  God's  law.  It  is  a  severe  law.  It  be- 
sets me  behind  and  before,  and  will  not  allow  me 
to  escape. 

"  O  Love,  that  will  not  let  me  go." 

There  is  a  stern  ring  in  that  word  as  well  as  a 
tender  tone.  So  severe  is  the  law  of  God  that 
nothing  but  love  will  submit  to  it.  Obedience  is 
the  final  demonstration  of  confidence  ;  and  con- 
fidence is  never  perfect  unless  it  is  the  confidence 
of  absolute  love.  So  that  obedience  to  law  on 
the  part  of  man  is  demonstration  of  his  love  of 
God ;  and  the  love  of  God  is  the  motive  of  his 
obedience. 

The  arguments  of  this  book  are  those  of  all 
human  history.  The  historian  needs  an  inter- 


94    THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

preter.  The  singers  are  the  interpreters  of  his- 
tory. In  this  song  Moses  argued  for  the  love  of 
God  by  reviewing  His  methods.  In  our  own 
times,  Browning  has  sung  in  other  words  the 
same  great  theme : 


"  I  have  gone  the  whole  round  of  Creation  :  I  saw  and  I 

spoke ! 
I,  a  work  of  God's  hand  for  that  purpose,  received  in  my 

brain 
And  pronounced  on  the  rest  of  His  handiwork — returned 

Him  again 
His    creation's    approval    or   censure;    I    spoke   as   I 

saw. 
I  report,  as  a  man  may  of  God's  work — all's  love,  yet 

all's  law  ! 
Now  I  lay  down  the  judgeship  He  lent  me.    Each  faculty 

tasked 
To  perceive  Him  has  gained  an  abyss  where  a  dewdrop 

was  asked, 
Have  I  knowledge?     Confounded,  it  shrivels  at  wisdom 

laid  bare. 
Have  I  forethought  ?     How  purblind,  how  blank,  to  the 

Infinite  care  ! 

Do  I  task  any  faculty  highest  to  image  success  ? 
I  but  open  my  eyes — and  perfection,  no  more  and  no 

less, 
In  the  kind  I  imagined,  full-fronts  me,  and  God  is  seen 

God 
In  the  star,  in  the  stone,  in  the  flesh,  in  the  soul  and  the 

clod. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY    95 

And  thus,  looking  within  and  around  me,  I  ever  renew 

(With  that  stoop  of  the  soul  which,  in  bending,  upraises 
it  too) 

The  submission  of  Man's  nothing-perfect  to  God's  All- 
Complete, 

As  by  each  new  obeisance  in  spirit  I  climb  to  His 
feet." 

All's  love,  but  all's  law.  The  seers  are  always 
the  singers.  I  have  already  referred  to  one  of 
George  Matheson's  hymns.  Let  us  not  miss  the 
strength  of  that  hymn,  while  we  glory  in  its  ten- 
derness. 

"  O  Love,  that  will  not  let  me  go." 

Do  not  let  us  sing  that  as  though  love  only  knew 
the  method  of  a  tender  caress.  We  must  sing 
all  the  hymn  if  we  would  know  what  the  first 
line  means. 

"  O  Love,  that  will  not  let  me  go, 
I  rest  my  weary  soul  in  Thee ; 
I  give  Thee  back  the  life  I  owe, 
That  in  Thine  ocean's  depths  its  flow 
May  richer,  fuller  be. 

'«  O  Light,  that  followest  all  my  way, 

I  yield  my  flickering  torch  to  Thee  j 
My  heart  restores  its  borrowed  ray, 
That  in  Thy  sunshine's  blaze  its  day 
May  brighter,  fairer  be. 


96    THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY 

"  O  Joy,  that  seekest  me  through  pain, 
I  cannot  close  my  heart  to  Thee ; 
I  trace  the  rainbow  through  the  rain, 
And  feel  the  promise  is  not  vain 
That  morn  shall  tearless  be. 


"  O  Cross,  that  liftest  up  my  head, 

I  dare  not  ask  to  fly  from  Thee ; 
I  lay  in  dust  life's  glory  dead, 
And  from  the  ground  there  blossoms  red 
Life  that  shall  endless  be." 


Love,  then,  is  law  gripping  me,  binding  me  to  the 
cross,  compelling  me  to  lay  life's  glory  in  the 
dust  of  death,  and  so  ensuring  the  blossoming  of 
red  life. 

The  first  appeal  of  the  book  is  to  love  of  God. 
It  is  objected  that  love  cannot  be  commanded. 
That  is  true.  Love  is  born  when  least  expected. 
We  love,  because  He  first  loved.  On  the  other 
hand,  love  can  be  refused.  We  may  not  love, 
even  though  He  first  loves.  The  message  then 
is,  "Harden  not  your  heart."  Do  not  blind 
yourself  to  God's  love.  Detect  it  in  the  rainbow 
and  in  the  rain,  in  the  cross  and  in  the  red  life 
that  blossoms  from  the  ground.  Having  de- 
tected it,  answer  it.  The  final  appeal  of  Deuter- 
onomy shows  how  love  is  answered.  It  is  by 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DEUTERONOMY    97 

obedience.  In  answer  to  love,  and  in  the  power 
of  love,  obey.  There  is  a  reflex  action  in  this 
sacred  matter.  To  obey  in  answer  to  love  is  to 
come  to  love  the  One  obeyed  ;  and  so  more  per- 
fectly to  obey,  out  of  more  perfect  love. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  "  Jehovah  is  a  Man  of  War  " 

i.  Its  Reason.     His  perpetual  War  with  Sin. 

a.  The  Extermination  of  the  Canaanites. 

1.  After  Probation.   Gen.  xv.  16,  xviii.,  xix. 

2.  Because  of  Corruption.     Lev.  xviii.  24, 

25.  27- 

b.  His  dealing  with  His  Own. 

ii.  Its  Instruments. 

a.  Men  loyal  to  Him. 

b.  The  Forces  of  the  Universe. 

til  Its  Methods. 

a.  Restraint   of  natural   Powers,  within   the 

Bounds  of  His  Government. 

b.  Restraint   of    the    Lust  of    a  conquering 

Army. 

II.  "The  Just  shall  live  by  Faith  " 

i.  Acceptance  of  the  Standard  of  God's  Holiness. 

ii.  Abandonment   to  the  Government  of  God's 
Will. 

iii.  Achievement  in  the  Strength  of  God's  Might. 


I.  "  Jehovah  is  a  Man  of  War  " 

The   Foe   of  Sin  to-day  as 
ever. 
Personal. 
Social. 
Civic. 
National. 


II.  "The    Just    shall   live   by 
Faith  " 

Personally. 
Relatively. 


To  exercise  righteous  in- 
fluence, and  produce 
the  result  of  righteous 
conditions,  faith  is  nec- 
essary. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA 

THE  second  division  of  the  Hebrew 
Scriptures,  designated  The  Prophets, 
fell  into  two  sections.  The  first  was 
called  The  Earlier  Prophets,  and  comprised 
Joshua,  Judges,  I.  and  II.,  Samuel,  and  I.  and  II. 
Kings.  In  some  arrangements  the  book  of  Ruth 
was  included  with  that  of  Joshua.  In  others  it 
was  counted  as  one  of  the  five  rolls  constituting 
the  Hagiographa,  or  book  of  Psalms.  The  plac- 
ing of  the  historical  books  of  the  Old  Testament 
in  the  division  known  as  The  Prophets  indicated 
the  fact  that  they  were  considered  to  be  pro- 
phetic in  the  full  sense  of  the  word.  History  is 
prophetic  in  that  it  has  a  teaching  value.  To 
read  from  the  true  standpoint  is  to  observe  the 
method  of  God,  and  to  learn  the  principles  of 
human  life. 

The  book  of  Joshua  is  a  link  between  the  death 
of  Moses  and  the  death  of  Joshua,  and  covers  a 
period  of  from  forty-five  to  fifty  years  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  ancient  people.  Joshua  was  born  in 
slavery,  and  the  first  years  of  his  life  were  spent 

99 


ioo          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA 

in  the  midst  of  the  hard  and  terrible  conditions 
in  which  his  people  lived  in  Egypt.  He  was 
about  forty  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the  exodus 
and  was  one  of  the  minority  who  brought  the 
true  report  of  the  land,  when  the  spies  were  sent 
forth.  The  book  bearing  his  name  tells  the  story 
of  the  coming  of  the  chosen  people  into  the  land 
and  their  settlement  therein. 

In  order  to  the  discovery  of  its  permanent 
values,  we  must  again  presuppose  acquaintance 
with  its  content,  and  proceed  to  enquire  what 
are  the  impressions  which  as  a  whole  it  makes 
upon  the  mind.  It  is  a  book  crowded  with  in- 
cident, and  there  are  general  impressions  inevita- 
bly resulting  from  its  study  which  I  propose  to  indi- 
cate by  two  quotations,  one  taken  from  an  earlier 
book,  and  the  other  from  a  later  one.  The  first 
is  from  the  song  the  Israelites  sang  on  the 
borders  of  the  Red  Sea,  after  they  had  crossed, 
"Jehovah  is  a  Man  of  war."  The  other  is  from 
the  prophecy  of  Habakkuk,  "  The  just  shall  live 
by  his  faith." 

In  the  song  sung  upon  the  banks  of  the  Red 
Sea  by  the  delivered  people,  there  emerges  into 
definite  statement  a  great  truth,  never  lost  sight 
of  through  the  whole  Bible,  "  Jehovah  is  a  Man  of 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA          101 

war."  In  the  prophecy  of  Habakkuk,  the  truth 
which  emerged  as  a  principle  in  Genesis  is  crys- 
tallized into  a  definite  statement.  The  perma- 
nent values  of  the  book  of  Joshua,  then,  are  that 
it  illustrates  these  two  truths,  thus  impressing 
them  upon  the  mind,  and  revealing  the  intimate 
relationship  between  them. 

Let  us  take  the  first  of  these  statements  and 
examine  it  carefully.  This  book  is  criticized  by 
those  who  declare  that  its  teaching  concerning 
the  attitude  of  Joshua,  and  the  activity  of  the 
people  under  his  command,  are  out  of  harmony 
with  the  truth  concerning  God  revealed  by  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  hardly  necessary  for  me 
to  say  that  I  join  issue  with  that  conclusion  alto- 
gether. I  hold,  on  the  contrary,  that  this  book, 
rightly  read,  interprets  the  meaning  of  that  side 
of  truth  concerning  Jehovah  which  we  sometimes 
find  it  difficult  to  understand. 

Let  it  first  be  recognized  that  this  conception 
of  God  runs  through  the  whole  Bible.  It 
emerges  into  clear  statement  in  the  song  after  the 
crossing  of  the  Red  Sea.  It  is  manifest  in  all 
the  history  of  the  Hebrew  people,  as  written  for  us 
in  this  book,  and  in  the  book  of  Judges,  in  I.  and 
II.  Samuel,  in  I.  and  II.  Kings,  and  in  that 


102          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA 

priestly  repetition  of  the  story  of  the  Kings  which 
we  have  in  I.  and  II.  Chronicles.  The  people 
were  commanded  to  battle,  led  in  battle,  punished 
in  battle,  under  the  direct  government  of  God. 
This  conception  of  God  is  celebrated  by  the  Old 
Testament  writers.  One  supreme  instance  is 
found  in  that  matchless  twenty-fourth  psalm, 

"  Jehovah  strong  and  mighty, 
Jehovah  mighty  in  battle." 

It  was  held,  moreover,  by  the  prophet  Isaiah, 
who  declared,  "  By  fire  will  Jehovah  plead,  and 
by  His  sword,  with  all  flesh."  The  thought  runs 
through  the  new  Testament  in  spiritual  fervour, 
though  material  forms  of  expression  are  absent. 
The  underlying  fact  is  manifested  in  the  anger  of 
Jesus,  and  suggested  in  the  phrase  "  the  wrath  of 
God."  The  same  conception  obtains  in  the  last 
book  of  the  Bible,  when  material  symbolism  and 
spiritual  truth  so  wonderfully  merge  in  the  pas- 
sage, "  I  saw  the  heaven  opened  ;  and  behold,  a 
white  horse,  and  He  that  sat  thereon,  called 
Faithful  and  True  ;  and  in  righteousness  He  doth 
judge  and  make  war.  And  His  eyes  are  a  flame 
of  fire,  and  upon  His  head  are  many  diadems ; 
and  He  hath  a  name  written,  which  no  one 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA  103 

knoweth  but  He  Himself.  And  He  is  arrayed  in 
a  garment  sprinkled  with  blood  :  and  His  name 
is  called  The  Word  of  God.  And  the  armies 
which  are  in  heaven  followed  Him  upon  white 
horses,  clothed  in  fine  linen,  white  and  pure. 
And  out  of  His  mouth  proceedeth  a  sharp  sword, 
that  with  it  He  should  smite  the  nations :  and 
He  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron :  and  He 
treadeth  the  winepress  of  the  fierceness  of  the 
wrath  of  Almighty  God." 

This  conception  of  God  as  a  warlike  One,  a 
God  of  battles,  capable  of  anger,  moving  forth 
ever  and  anon  in  definite  punishment  by  the 
sword,  runs  through  all  the  Bible.  It  has  been 
questioned  and  criticized,  always  through  partial, 
and  consequently  false  views  of  God.  It  is 
affirmed  that  this  conception  of  God  is  out  of 
harmony  with  the  truth  declared  emphatically 
by  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  the 
words  "  God  is  love."  I  affirm,  on  the  contrary, 
that  if  this  conception  be  inaccurate,  if  in  certain 
given  circumstances,  and  in  the  presence  of  cer- 
tain conditions,  God  is  not  a  God  of  war,  then 
He  cannot  be  a  God  of  love.  All  the  references 
to  Him  as  a  God  of  war  in  the  Bible,  and  all  the 
activities  attributed  to  Him,  spring  from  one 


104          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA 

simple  fountainhead  ;  and  that  is  the  eternal  and 
undying  love  of  His  heart.  In  this  book  of 
Joshua  that  supreme  fact  is  clearly  manifest  and 
explained. 

God  is  perpetually  at  war  with  sin.  That  is 
the  whole  explanation  of  the  extermination  of  the 
Canaanites.  The  story  of  that  extermination 
must  be  read  in  connection  with  the  things 
chronicled  in  previous  books,  and  in  the  light 
of  the  actual  facts  as  to  the  condition  of  the 
people  in  Canaan.  In  a  vision  recorded  in 
Genesis,  Abraham  was  told  of  the  captivity  of 
his  descendants,  and  that  they  should  suffer 
hardship  in  a  strange  land  for  four  hundred 
years,  and  then  be  brought  back  into  the  land  to 
possess  it.  In  the  course  of  that  declaration  it 
was  said,  "The  iniquity  of  the  Amorite  is  not 
yet  full."  In  that  incidental  word  we  have  the 
key  to  the  situation.  The  people  who  dwelt  in 
Canaan,  when  Joshua  led  God's  people  in,  had 
rilled  to  the  full  the  cup  of  iniquity.  Their  cor- 
ruption is  revealed  in  Leviticus,  in  the  warnings 
uttered  to  the  Hebrews  against  the  evil  things 
they  would  find  in  the  land;  "Defile  not  ye 
yourselves  in  any  of  these  things :  for  in  all  these 
the  nations  are  defiled  which  I  cast  out  from  be- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA          105 

fore  you :  and  the  land  is  denied  :  therefore  do  I 
visit  the  iniquity  thereof  upon  it,  and  the  land 
vomiteth  out  her  inhabitants."  And  again,  in  a 
parenthesis  which  flashes  its  light  upon  the  whole 
story,  ("  For  all  these  abominations  have  the 
men  of  the  land  done,  which  were  before  you, 
and  the  land  is  denied").  These  are  distinct 
declarations  of  God,  that  the  people  were  to  be 
exterminated  because  of  the  evils  existing  in  the 
land.  There  was  absolute  immorality  and 
atrocious  cruelty.  The  Assyrian  records,  which 
have  comparatively  recently  been  brought  to 
light,  reveal  the  condition  of  Phoenicia.  The 
whole  truth  concerning  the  purging  of  the  land 
by  the  Hebrew  people  under  the  command  of 
God  is  stated  by  Dr.  Moorhead  thus,  "It  was 
terrible  surgery  this  ;  but  it  was  surgery  and  not 
murder — the  excision  of  the  cancer  that  the 
healthy  part  might  remain."  That  exactly  ex- 
plains what  happened  when  the  Hebrew  people 
dispossessed  the  corrupt  peoples  who  occupied 
the  land  of  Canaan. 

Then  it  must  be  remembered  that  this  was  not 
done  until  after  long  probation.  The  land  had 
not  been  without  definite  teaching  and  warning. 
Melchizedek  had  lived  in  Canaan,  king  of  right- 


106          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA 

eousness  and  king  of  Salem.  Abraham  had 
dwelt  there.  Solemn  warning  had  been  given 
in  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  the 
fame  of  which  had  spread  through  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  land.  Blind  to  the  light,  deaf 
to  the  voice,  these  people  had  persisted  in  sin, 
until  they  had  become  absolutely  immoral  and 
atrociously  cruel ;  and  for  the  sake  of  succeeding 
generations  and  the  surrounding  nations,  it  was 
necessary  to  excise  the  cancer,  and  give  the  op- 
portunity of  healthy  life. 

God  is  seen  in  this  book  of  Joshua  as  a  war- 
like One  proceeding  to  battle,  not  for  a  capricious 
purpose,  not  for  the  enlargement  of  territory,  for 
the  whole  earth  is  His ;  but  in  order  to  change 
and  end  the  corrupt  condition  of  affairs  in  the 
larger  interests  of  the  oncoming  centuries,  and 
of  the  whole  human  race.  It  was  a  conflict  as 
between  truth  and  liberty  on  the  one  hand,  and 
lying  and  licentiousness  on  the  other.  One  or 
the  other  had  to  go  down  in  the  struggle,  and 
God  moved  forward  as  a  warlike  One,  using 
these  people  as  His  scourge  to  purify  the  land, 
and  to  plant  in  that  little  strip  of  country  a 
people  who,  whatever  their  faults  were,  should 
yet  become  the  depository  of  the  truth  which 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA          107 

should  at  last  permeate  the  world,  and  give  men 
everywhere  the  opportunity  for  life,  which  it  was 
necessary  they  should  have. 

Moreover,  it  must  be  observed  that  God  was 
not  merely  clearing  a  land  in  order  to  find  a 
home  for  people  upon  whom  He  had  set  His 
heart.  Solemn  warnings  were  given  to  the 
Israelites  perpetually  by  word  and  by  deed,  that 
if  they  turned  to  the  sins  of  the  people  they  had 
exterminated,  they  in  their  turn  should  be  cast 
out.  That  is  precisely  what  happened.  They 
did  turn,  in  spite  of  the  law,  in  spite  of  the  lead- 
ing of  God,  to  the  abominations  which  they 
found  in  the  land,  failed  to  bear  the  testimony 
which  they  were  created  to  bear,  and  conse- 
quently to-day  are  a  people  "  scattered  and 
peeled."  God  was  as  surely  against  Israel  as 
against  Canaan  when,  in  the  person  of  one 
member  of  the  nation,  she  turned  with  lusting 
eyes  to  the  things  of  evil.  That  solemn  halt 
and  awful  defeat  at  Ai  teach  the  lesson  of  the 
meaning  of  God's  warlike  nature  as  surely  as 
did  the  stories  of  the  sweeping  out  of  the  men 
who  were  already  in  the  land.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  dealing  of  God  with  His  own  is  almost 
severer  than  His  dealing  with  the  Canaanites. 


io8          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA 

One  man  had  coveted  a  Babylonish  garment 
and  a  wedge  of  gold,  had  grasped  something  of 
the  spoil  for  the  enrichment  of  himself,  and  had 
hidden  it  in  his  tent ;  and  the  whole  march  of 
Israelites  was  halted  by  defeat ;  and  until  the  evil 
thing  was  found  and  destroyed,  and  the  sinning 
man  had  expiated  his  offense  by  the  very  death 
that  the  Hebrew  people  were  inflicting  upon  the 
sinners  of  the  land,  there  could  be  no  going  for- 
ward. God  is  the  terrible  foe  of  sin,  refusing  to 
make  truce  with  it,  after  probation  and  long 
patience  visiting  in  judgment  corrupt  peoples, 
and  punishing  with  severity  the  very  instrument 
raised  up  for  the  carrying  out  of  His  work,  when- 
ever it  becomes  contaminated  by  sin.  God's 
rule  is  ever  the  expression  of  His  righteousness, 
impulsed  by  love.  Supposing  these  people  had 
been  allowed  to  remain  and  retain  their  power ; 
supposing  there  had  never  been  brought  into 
existence  the  people  who  were  to  receive  the 
oracles  of  revelation,  what  would  have  been  the 
history  of  the  world  by  now  ?  By  that  very 
purging,  by  those  drastic  measures  of  wrath 
against  iniquity  persisted  in  after  long  probation, 
God  gave  the  race  its  new  opportunity,  as  He 
prepared  the  way  for  the  coming  of  the  One  in 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA          109 

whom  His  love  was  to  be  incarnate,  and  His 
anger  to  be  most  perfectly  manifest. 

God  used  as  His  instruments  men  so  far  as 
they  were  loyal  to  Him.  He  also  pressed  into 
service  the  forces  of  the  universe,  in  so  far  as 
they  were  necessary  for  the  carrying  out  of  His 
purpose ;  the  restraint  of  a  river  while  His  hosts 
crossed  over,  the  trembling  of  the  earth  until  the 
walls  of  the  city  fell,  the  lengthening  of  the  day 
until  the  battle  was  won.  It  may  be  said  that 
God  does  not  to-day  divide  rivers,  or  cause 
mountains  to  tremble,  or  stay  the  sun  in  his 
going.  These  interventions  were  but  representa- 
tive of  a  method.  God  does  not  repeat  Himself 
unless  there  be  absolute  necessity  for  it.  Yet 
who  shall  say  that  the  earthquake  is  not  still  His 
minister,  the  lightning  His  sword,  and  the  hurri- 
cane His  chariot.  Is  it  not  possible  that,  if  we 
had  the  illuminated  eye,  we  should  discover  that 
the  things  we  describe  as  catastrophes  are  but 
evidences  of  the  goings  of  God  in  supernatural 
strength,  for  the  accomplishment  of  some  far-off 
purpose  upon  which  His  heart  of  love  is  set  ? 

Once  more,  notice  the  methods  which  are  re- 
markable in  relation  to  these  people.  Notice  the 
peculiar  restraint  of  the  natural  force  of  His  ap- 


I  io          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA 

pointed  soldiers,  within  the  bounds  of  His  govern- 
ment. Is  it  possible  to  conceive  of  anything 
much  more  foolish  than  attempting  to  take  a  city 
by  the  blowing  of  rams'  horns  and  the  marching 
of  men  ?  Yet  that  is  not  the  way  to  state  the 
case.  Let  us  rather  enquire  whether  it  is  pos- 
sible to  conceive  of  anything  more  heroic  than 
the  ability  to  walk  seven  days  round  a  city,  with- 
out striking  a  blow,  after  having  won  a  battle  by 
the  sword  on  the  other  side  of  Jordan  ?  I  can- 
not  laugh  at  the  story  as  being  unlikely.  I  am 
rather  amazed  at  the  picture  of  the  restrained 
soldiers  of  God,  content  to  do  His  bidding,  while 
leaving  to  Him  the  issues.  When  at  last  the 
walls  trembled,  no  one  imagined  that  the  blast  of 
the  rams'  horns  had  shaken  them,  no  one  im- 
agined that  the  tramp  of  feet  round  them  had 
made  them  tremble.  They  knew,  and  we  know, 
that  these  men  were  being  taught  that  God 
operates  for  the  accomplishment  of  His  purposes 
through  the  obedient  and  heroic  faith  of  men 
who  will  obey  Him,  however  foolhardy  their 
action  may  appear  in  the  eyes  of  men.  The 
restraint  of  the  lust  of  a  conquering  army  is 
equally  remarkable.  Compare  the  Assyrian  rec- 
ords, to  which  we  have  already  made  reference, 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA          in 

and  see  what  the  men  of  that  very  district  did  in 
the  day  of  victory,  how  they  treated  their  captives. 
The  contrast  is  almost  startling.  Jehovah  is  a 
Man  of  war.  His  purpose  is  righteous.  His  in- 
struments are  controlled  by  righteousness.  His 
methods  are  righteous.  I  see  Him  in  this  book 
of  Joshua  moving  in  resistless  fury  against  sin, 
in  the  interests  of  the  nations,  of  the  race  at 
large,  and  of  the  unborn  centuries,  in  order  that 
truth  might  have  its  opportunity  in  the  world,  in 
the  interests  of  man. 

The  other  truth  that  "  the  just  shall  live  by  his 
faith  "  has  become  patent  by  this  statement  of  the 
first  permanent  value  of  the  book.  This  truth 
emerged  in  Genesis,  was  expressed  in  clear  state- 
ment by  Habakkuk,  and  enforced  by  threefold 
citation  in  the  apostolic  writings.  The  declara- 
tion means  that  the  power  of  the  righteous  life  is 
faith.  It  is  by  faith  in  God  that  the  righteous 
lives.  With  a  fine  sense  of  accuracy  the  writer 
of  the  letter  to  the  Hebrews  has  rendered  the 
passage  "  My  righteous  one  shall  live  by  faith  " 
— that  is,  he  shall  live  the  righteous  life,  by  faith. 
The  power  of  righteousness  is  faith.  The  book 
of  Joshua  is  a  remarkable  interpretation  of  this 
fact,  and  it  is  especially  valuable  to  notice  the  in- 


112          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA 

terpretation  of  faith  which  this  book  offers.  The 
writer  of  the  letter  to  the  Hebrews  declares  "  By 
faith  the  walls  of  Jericho  fell  down,"  and  that 
statement  touches  the  keystone  of  the  victories  of 
Joshua.  The  first  strategic  battle  was  won  at 
Jericho.  Beyond  that,  the  whole  land  stretched 
out  before  them.  This  being  granted,  carefully 
observe  what  this  history  of  the  conquest  of  the 
land  teaches  concerning  faith.  Faith  is  the  ac- 
ceptance of  God's  standard  of  holiness.  Faith  is 
abandonment  to  the  government  of  God's  will. 
Faith  is  achievement  in  the  strength  of  God's 
might 

It  is  first  acceptance  of  God's  standard  of  holi- 
ness. In  the  first  words  of  Joshua  addressed  to 
these  people,  he  warned  them  of  the  perils  which 
awaited  them  in  the  land  to  which  they  came, 
and  charged  them  that  they  must  be  pure  and 
strong.  In  his  last  discourse  the  same  passionate 
abandonment  to  the  standard  of  God's  holiness  is 
manifest.  That  is  faith.  Faith  is  not  an  attitude 
which  asks  for  mercy,  and  professes  to  receive  it, 
while  careless  about  holiness.  Faith  finds  the 
grip  of  its  anchorage  in  the  holiness  of  God.  That 
is  the  underlying  secret  of  the  strength  and  vic- 
tories of  Joshua. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA          113 

Faith  is  also  abandonment  to  the  government 
of  God's  will.  We  have  already  referred  to  this, 
as  revealed  in  the  story  of  the  taking  of  Jericho. 
The  men  who  were  content  to  do  such  things  as 
they  did  were  men  of  faith.  In  the  stirring 
days  of  the  evangelical  revival,  when  the  Wes- 
leys  and  Whitefield  were  passing  like  flames  of 
fire  through  the  country,  they  sang : 

"  Fools  and  madmen  let  us  be, 
Yet  is  our  sure  trust  in  Thee." 

That  is  faith  ;  to  be  willing  to  do  things  at 
which  the  wisdom  of  the  world  scoffs,  if  God 
command.  In  that  way  God's  victories  are  won, 
and  in  no  other. 

Faith  finally,  therefore,  is  achievement  in  the 
strength  of  God's  might.  All  the  victories  of 
righteousness  through  the  centuries  testify  to  this 
fact. 

The  permanent  values  of  the  book  of  Joshua 
constitute  its  living  message,  and  therefore  I 
need  but  repeat  them  in  a  few  final  sentences. 

To-day  "  Jehovah  is  a  Man  of  war."  At  this 
hour  He  is  the  foe  of  sin  in  personal,  social,  civic, 
and  national  life.  At  this  moment,  in  this  in- 
dividual life  of  mine  and  in  the  world  at  large, 


114          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA 

He  is  moving  forward  in  unabated,  undeviating, 
unceasing  hostility  to  sin.  Blessed  be  His 
name !  Thank  God  that  He  will  not  make 
peace  with  sin  in  my  heart.  How  I  have  tried 
to  evade  some  issue  with  Him,  to  plead  the 
excuse,  "  The  fathers  have  eaten  sour  grapes, 
and  the  children's  teeth  are  set  on  edge "  ;  to 
urge  the  difficulty  of  the  circumstances  in  which 
I  am  ;  to  plead  my  infirmity.  All  the  while  God 
is  a  Man  of  war,  smiting  sin,  refusing  to  make 
truce  with  it,  accepting  no  white  flag  of  sur- 
render offered  to  Him,  except  that  of  the  aban- 
donment of  sin,  and  all  because  He  loves  me. 
The  moment  you  can  persuade  me  that  God 
Almighty  will  excuse  sin  in  my  life,  I  cease  to 
believe  in  His  love.  He  is  the  foe  of  sin  in  me, 
in  London,  in  England,  in  the  world.  If  in 
these  days  His  methods  are  not  exactly  the 
methods  of  the  past,  let  it  never  be  forgotten 
that  even  to-day  every  army  that  marches  is 
under  His  control ;  that  He  girds  Cyrus  outside 
the  covenant  as  surely  now  as  in  the  days  of 
old.  I  bless  His  name  for  the  thunder  of  His 
authority,  and  for  the  profound  conviction  that 
He  is  fierce  and  furious  in  His  anger  against  sin, 
wherever  it  manifests  itself. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOSHUA          115 

Today  also,  as  in  the  ancient  days,  "  My 
righteous  one  shall  live  by  faith."  Personally 
that  is  true.  If  a  man  is  to  have  the  victory  of 
the  righteous  life  he  must  win  it  by  faith,  by  ac- 
cepting God's  standard  of  holiness,  by  abandon- 
ing the  life  to  the  government  of  God's  will. 
Then  and  then  only,  will  he  achieve  victory  in 
God's  power.  It  is  equally  true  relatively.  To 
exercise  a  righteous  influence,  and  to  produce 
the  result  of  righteous  conditions,  we  must  have 
faith  in  God.  Blot  God  out  of  your  propaganda, 
refuse  to  have  His  name  and  the  name  of  His 
Christ  mentioned,  when  you  gather  together  to 
discuss  the  amelioration  of  social  conditions,  and 
confusion  is  written  across  your  assembly.  It  is 
only  as  God  is  recognized  in  His  holiness,  and 
obeyed  in  His  law,  that  righteous  conditions  can 
obtain  in  personal,  or  social,  or  national  life. 
May  we  hear  the  message,  and  answer  it  with 
all  our  hearts  to  the  glory  of  His  name. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


L  The  Deterioration  of  a  Nation 
L  Its  Manifestation. 

a.  Cause.   Religious  Apostasy. 

t.  Course.   Political  Disorganization. 

c.  Curse.    Social  Chaos. 
ft.  Its  Characteristics. 

a.  Blindness.     Religious. 

b.  Folly.     Political. 

c.  Immorality.     Social. 

II.  The  Administration  of  God 

i.  Its  Methods. 

a.  Punishment. 

b.  Mercy. 

c.  Deliverance. 
ii.  Its  Purpose. 

a.  The  last  Statement,     xxi.  25. 

{xvii.  6. 
xviii.  I. 
xix.  I. 

b.  The  next  Book. 

e.  Its  Ultimate.     David. 
JESUS. 


I.  As  to  the  Nation 

A  Warning. 

i.  The  Process  of  Deterioration. 
ii.  The  Process  of  Restoration. 


II.  As  to  the  Administration  of  God. 

A  Message  of  Hope. 
i.  He  forever  moves  towards  Purpose, 
ii.  His  Methods  are  still  the  same. 

Punishment. 

Mercy. 

Deliverance. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES 

THE  central  division  in  the  lecture  on  the 
content  of  this  book  gives  the  history 
of  the  Hebrew  people  from  Joshua  to 
Samson,  in  a  series  of  seven  cycles.  Each  one 
runs  the  same  course — of  sin,  of  punishment,  of 
deliverance. 

The  permanent  values  must  be  deduced  from 
this  division.  That  is  not  to  undervalue  the  in- 
troduction or  the  appendix.  These  are  necessary 
for  the  complete  picture,  but  for  our  present  pur- 
pose we  shall  confine  ourselves  to  these  seven 
cycles. 

The  permanent  values  may  be  summarized  un- 
der two  heads.  The  book  reveals  to  us  first,  the 
deterioration  of  the  nation ;  and  secondly,  the 
administration  of  God. 

In  considering  the  book  of  Joshua,  we  found 
that  its  first  revelation  was  summarized  in  that 
ancient  declaration  "Jehovah  is  a  Man  of  war," 
and  we  saw  God  in  perpetual  conflict  with  sin ; 
while  its  second  value  was  expressed  in  the  state- 
ment "  the  just  shall  live  by  faith,"  faith  being 

117 


ii8          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES 

the  acceptance  of  God's  standard  of  holiness, 
abandonment  to  the  government  of  God's  will, 
and  achievement  in  the  strength  of  God's  might. 
In  dealing  with  the  first  of  these  values,  we  saw 
that  the  hostility  of  God  to  sin  was  manifested 
not  only  to  the  sin  of  the  people  who  were  to  be 
exterminated,  but  also  to  the  sin  of  the  people 
who  were  to  be  the  instruments  of  that  exter- 
mination. That  fact  is  brought  out  into  clear 
relief  in  this  book.  Here  we  see  God  in  constant 
conflict  with  the  sin  of  these  people,  and  yet  as 
constantly  working  for  their  deliverance. 

The  lessons  of  this  book,  then,  may  be  sum- 
marized by  the  quotation  of  two  Scriptures, 

"  Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation  : 
But  sin  is  a  reproach  to  any  people," 

and, 

"  Jehovah  executeth  righteous  acts, 
And  judgments  for  all  that  are  oppressed.' 

Take  the  first,  "  Righteousness  exalteth  a  na- 
tion :  But  sin  is  a  reproach  to  any  people."  The 
meaning  of  the  first  half  of  the  verse  is  plain — 
"  Righteousness  exalteth,"  lifteth  up,  setteth  on 
high.  The  meaning  of  the  second  part  has  been 
somewhat  obscured  by  the  use  of  the  word  "  re- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES          119 

proach."  The  Hebrew  word  is  nowhere  else  so 
translated.  Its  usual  translation  seems  to  sug- 
gest no  possible  connection  with  reproach.  In 
the  refrain  of  Psalm  cxxxvi.,  "  His  mercy  endur- 
eth  forever,"  the  word  "  mercy  "  is  the  same  as 
that  translated  "  reproach "  in  this  text  I  am 
not  suggesting  that  we  should  read  this  text 
"  Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation :  but  sin  is  a 
mercy  to  any  people."  I  have  rather  drawn  at- 
tention to  the  peculiarity  of  the  word  in  order  to 
say  that  I  believe  there  is  the  profoundest  sig« 
nificance  in  its  use.  The  word  is  derived  from  a 
root  which  means  to  bow  or  bend  the  neck.  It 
is  a  pictorial  word,  and  its  meaning  must  always 
be  interpreted  by  the  setting  in  which  it  is  found. 
The  neck  may  be  bent  in  condescension,  the 
bending  of  superiority  to  inferiority.  It  may  be 
done  in  courtesy,  the  bending  of  a  friend  to  a 
friend.  It  may  be  done  in  submission,  the  bend- 
ing of  a  slave  to  the  yoke.  I  believe  that  when 
this  word  was  written  by  Solomon,  he  employed 
it  for  its  root  value,  rather  than  for  its  generally 
accepted  value.  The  thought  then  would  be, 
Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation,  but  sin  bends 
the  neck  of  any  people.  Thus  the  word  stands 
in  direct  contrast  to  the  word  "exalteth." 


120          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES 

Righteousness  makes  erect ;  sin  bows  the  neck. 
Some  may  object  that  one  word  can  have  two 
opposite  meanings.  I  will  tell  you  a  story.  A 
boy  said  to  his  father,  "Father,  what  does  cleave 
mean  ?  "  "  To  cleave  means  to  cut  into  two," 
replied  the  father.  "Why,  father,"  exclaimed 
the  boy,  "  I  thought  that  a  man  must  cleave  to 
his  wife!"  Forgive  the  homely  illustration  oi 
the  fact  that  this  word  must  be  interpreted  by 
the  context.  To  cleave  is  either  to  make  one  of 
two,  or  to  make  two  of  one. 

The  other  text  reveals  the  truth  that  fills  our 
heart  with  hope,  "Jehovah  executeth  righteous 
acts,  And  judgments  for  all  that  are  oppressed." 
1  place  the  emphasis  for  my  present  purpose 
upon  the  word  "  executeth."  God  is  an  Admin- 
istrator as  well  as  a  Lawgiver. 

The  seven  cycles  of  this  book  show  how  sin 
bows  the  neck  of  a  nation,  as  they  reveal  the 
cause,  the  course,  and  the  curse  of  deterioration. 
The  cause  of  deterioration  was  religious  apos- 
tasy. Its  course  was  political  disorganization. 
Its  curse  was  social  chaos  and  crime. 

The  first  movement  of  religious  apostasy  was 
toleration  of  things  that  were  out  of  harmony 
with  the  holiness  of  God.  In  the  earlier  chap- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES          121 

ters  the  declaration  is  made  five  or  six  times, 
"  they  drave  them  not  out."  They  tolerated  the 
presence  in  the  land  of  the  corrupt  peoples, 
whom  they  had  been  commanded  to  extermi- 
nate. That  was  the  first  evidence  of  religious 
apostasy.  It  always  is.  Religious  apostasy  never 
begins  with  intellectual  questioning.  I  have  the 
profoundest  respect  for  the  man  who  is  face  to 
face  with  intellectual  doubt  and  difficulty.  Let 
him  alone.  If  he  be  true,  he  will  "  beat  his  music 
out,"  and  "  find  a  stronger  faith  his  own."  Re- 
ligious apostasy  begins  with  toleration  for  the 
things  that  are  out  of  harmony  with  the  holiness 
of  God.  This  was  followed  by  admiration  of 
the  things  tolerated,  until  admiration  became 
conformity ;  and  in  that  strip  of  land  which 
ought  to  have  been  swept  clean  of  corruption, 
altars  to  Baal,  and  idol  places  of  worship  were 
erected  by  the  people  raised  up  to  end  these  very 
abominations. 

Religious  apostasy  is  always  the  first  move- 
ment in  national  deterioration,  and  it  is  inevi- 
tably followed  by  political  disorganization.  This 
manifested  itself  in  the  case  of  Israel  almost 
immediately.  After  the  passing  of  Joshua  they 
ceased  to  act  as  one  people.  They  began  to 


122          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES 

live  in  their  own  small  territory  and  to  fight  for 
their  own  selfish  ends.  Civil  war  almost  exter- 
minated the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  The  nation  was 
broken  up  into  factions,  and  so  was  no  longer 
able  to  act  in  perfect  unity  of  thought  and  pur- 
pose ;  and  consequently  was  weak  in  the  pres- 
ence of  enemies,  and  suffered  defeat. 

The  curse  was  experienced  in  internal  lawless- 
ness. One  graphic  touch  tells  how  the  highways 
were  deserted,  and  men  walked  along  the  by- 
ways, which  means  that  lawlessness  was  so  ram- 
pant that  men  had  to  find  their  way  by  stealth  to 
evade  the  highway  robbers  who  filled  the  land. 
Crimes  were  committed  everywhere,  while  stub- 
bornness of  heart  characterized  the  people. 

Mark  their  strange  blindness.  One  of  the 
most  startling  things  in  the  book  of  Judges  is 
the  speed  with  which  they  forgot  They  seem 
to  have  forgotten  the  taking  of  Jericho,  and  the 
victory  on  the  other  side  of  the  Jordan.  They 
seem,  moreover,  to  have  forgotten  their  earlier 
history,  the  deliverance  from  Egypt,  and  the 
wonderful  years  in  the  wilderness  in  which  they 
were  taught  that  the  throne  of  God  must  be 
recognized  as  the  centre  of  their  life.  They  were 
blind,  moreover,  to  the  present  activity  of  God, 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES          123 

hardly  recognizing  the  hand  of  His  judgments. 
This  blindness  and  their  religious  apostasy  were 
related  to  each  other,  as  effect  to  cause. 

Mark  the  folly  of  these  people.  This  was 
evidenced  by  their  limited  survey,  and  by  their 
selfishness.  Religious  apostasy  is  always  limited 
survey.  To  have  a  home  policy  and  a  foreign 
policy  which  leave  God  out  of  the  reckoning  is 
to  be  blind  indeed.  The  outcome  of  such  blind- 
ness is  selfishness.  These  people  sought  their 
own  personal  aggrandizement  when  they  forgot 
God. 

Finally  mark  the  immorality,  which  was  the 
inevitable  outcome  of  their  blindness  and  folly, 
and  to  which  we  have  referred  in  speaking  of 
the  curse  of  social  chaos 

Thank  God,  however,  there  is  something  more 
in  the  book  of  Judges  than  all  this,  or  it  would 
be  a  heart-breaking  picture.  The  administration 
of  God  is  revealed  throughout,  and  concerning 
it  there  are  three  matters  to  be  specially  noted ; 
punishment,  mercy,  and  deliverance. 

This  is  one  of  the  books  of  the  Bible  which  we 
must  burn  and  fling  away  if  we  deny  that  God 
does  directly,  immediately,  and  definitely  punish 
sin.  It  nevertheless  reveals  matters  of  supreme 


124          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES 

importance,  in  order  to  a  correct  appreciation  ol 
the  method  and  purpose  of  punishment  The 
punishment  of  God  is  poetic.  That  which  fell 
upon  these  people  was  the  necessary  result  of 
their  own  sin.  They  bent  the  neck  to  low  ideals 
of  religion,  and  were  compelled  to  bend  the  neck 
to  the  rule  of  the  people  to  whose  immorality 
they  had  stooped.  The  people  they  ought  to 
have  driven  out,  but  whom  they  tolerated  and 
admired,  and  to  whom  they  conformed  them- 
selves, became  their  tyrants.  God  visited  them 
by  bringing  upon  them  the  scourge  of  an  idol- 
atrous people,  because  they  had  stooped  to 
idolatry. 

The  punishment  of  God  is  severe.  During  the 
years  before  Gideon  was  raised  up,  these  people 
with  so  great  a  birthright  were  compelled  to  take 
refuge  in  caves,  not  daring  to  show  themselves, 
being  hunted  upon  the  mountains  of  their  own 
land,  and  having  to  hide  their  heads  for  very 
fear.  That  is  an  illustration  of  the  severity  of 
God's  punishment. 

Yes,  but  there  is  another  word  to  be  uttered. 
Not  only  was  the  punishment  poetic  and  severe, 
it  was  remedial.  It  always  aimed  at  bringing  the 
people  back  to  a  consciousness  of  sin  and  of  God 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES          125 

Through  all  these  processes  Jehovah  is  seen 
watching  and  waiting  in  mercy  for  His  people, 
hearing  them  the  moment  they  cry  to  Him,  and 
answering  them  immediately  with  deliverance. 

That  brings  us  to  the  final  matter  in  the  admin- 
istration of  God — His  deliverance.  Deliverance 
was  wrought  at  the  right  moment,  by  the  right 
instrument,  to  the  right  issue.  I  do  not  pause  to 
dwell  upon  the  fact  that  it  was  wrought  at  the 
right  moment,  for  we  have  already  seen  that  He 
acted,  directly  the  people  turned  to  Him  in  peni- 
tence. It  is  intensely  interesting,  however,  to 
notice  how  the  deliverance  was  wrought  by  the 
right  instrument.  To  look  at  the  conditions  in 
the  midst  of  which  the  judges  were  raised  up  is 
ever  to  see  how  the  right  man  was  found  for  the 
accomplishment  of  the  work. 

The  story  of  Shamgar  is  told  in  one  verse. 
He  was  a  rough,  rugged  hero,  fitted  to  his  times, 
accomplishing  revolution,  and  so  correcting  the 
people. 

Then  there  was  the  wonderful  alliance  between 
Deborah  and  Barak  in  an  age  which  lacked  en- 
thusiasm and  enterprise.  Deborah  was  a  woman 
of  poetry  and  flame,  and  with  a  fine  scorn  laid  a 
whip  of  scorpions  round  the  men  who  skulked, 


126          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES 

when  they  ought  to  have  been  fighting.  Barak 
was  a  strategist  and  adviser.  Deborah  without 
Barak  would  have  kindled  enthusiasm,  but  would 
have  accomplished  nothing.  Barak  would  have 
done  absolutely  nothing  without  Deborah. 

Then  came  Gideon  in  the  most  strenuous  hour 
of  all  the  period,  and  proved  his  heroism  first  by 
his  fear.  Never  criticize  Gideon  for  demanding 
proof  on  proof.  He  was  a  man  so  afraid  of  him- 
self, that  he  must  have  proof  on  proof ;  but  so 
sure  of  God,  that  he  was  content  with  three  hun- 
dred men,  and  lamps  and  pitchers  and  trumpets, 
to  lead  an  attack  upon  a  great  host. 

The  story  of  Jephthah  is  full  of  power.  I  am 
always  sorry  for  Jephthah.  He  was  a  man  with 
the  iron  in  his  soul,  born  into  the  world  not  in  the 
proper  way,  and  therefore  despised  by  his  legiti- 
mate brethren,  he  had  become  a  freebooter  and 
an  outlaw.  Yet  he  was  a  man  of  remarkable, 
honest,  rugged  strength.  When  God  wanted  a 
leader  in  those  days  of  lawlessness,  He  took  this 
man,  whom  his  brothers  had  despised,  and  made 
him  the  instrument  of  deliverance. 

The  story  of  Samson  is  full  of  sadness,  as  it  re- 
veals a  nation  utterly  deteriorated,  and  a  man 
unable  to  deliver.  A  most  significant  word  is 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES          127 

written  concerning  him,  "  He  shall  begin  to  save 
Israel."  He  never  succeeded.  One  of  the  most 
tragic  things  in  the  Bible  is  written  of  him,  a 
statement  that  makes  the  soul  blanch  with  fear 
as  nothing  else  does,  "  He  wist  not  that  the  Lord 
was  departed  from  him."  Oh,  the  tragedy  of  it. 
It  may  come  to  you,  it  may  come  to  me,  if  we 
play  with  evil  things,  when  we  ought  to  be  fight- 
ing the  Lord's  battles. 

We  should  not  have  looked  for  any  one  of 
these  men  where  God  looked  for  them.  They 
who  wear  soft  raiment  are  in  kings'  palaces. 
When  God  wants  a  prophet,  He  takes  a  herd- 
man  ;  when  a  leader,  He  finds  a  shepherd ;  when 
apostles,  He  calls  fishermen. 

In  order  to  see  the  purpose  of  the  administra- 
tion of  God,  look  at  the  last  verse  in  the  book  of 
Judges,  "  Every  man  did  that  which  was  right  in 
his  own  eyes."  The  same  thing  is  written  four 
times  in  the  appendix.  It  is  said  that  this  re- 
veals nothing  more  than  that  the  book  of  Judges 
was  written  in  the  time  of  the  kings  ;  and  that  the 
writer,  looking  back,  accounted  for  the  chaos  by 
the  fact  that  there  was  no  king.  That  is  truly 
the  human  side  of  it ;  but  there  is  the  Divine  side 
of  it. 


128          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES 

"  Every  man  did  that  which  was  right  in  his 
own  eyes " ;  that  is,  religious  apostasy,  political 
disorganization,  social  chaos.  The  book  of  Ruth 
follows  that  of  Judges,  and  may  be  described  as 
the  idyll  of  the  king.  How  does  it  end  ?  With 
David  the  king.  What  is  its  issue  ?  Jesus,  far 
off  down  the  centuries.  So  at  last  there  came  a 
King,  and  no  man  is  any  longer  to  do  that  which 
is  right  in  his  own  eyes,  but  is  to  crown  Him  and 
obey  Him.  That  is  the  ending  of  religious  apos- 
tasy, of  political  disorganization,  and  of  social 
chaos.  So  the  lines  run  out  from  this  book  of 
Judges,  through  the  idyll  of  the  king,  to  the  com- 
ing of  the  King. 

Again,  the  permanent  values  constitute  the 
living  message.  The  book  of  Judges  is  full  of 
teaching  for  this  day,  and  for  this  nation.  It 
first  of  all  utters  a  warning,  revealing  to  us,  if 
we  have  eyes  to  see,  and  ears  to  hear,  and  hearts 
to  understand,  the  process  of  deterioration.  It 
is  as  true  of  our  own  nation  as  of  Israel,  that  if 
there  is  religious  apostasy,  there  must  be  polit- 
ical disorganization,  and  this  issues  in  social 
chaos.  In  other  words,  social  failure  is  rooted 
in  religious  apostasy.  Therefore  the  process  of 
restoration  must  begin  with  the  cause,  and  so 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES          129 

change  the  course,  and  remove  the  curse, 
When  I  am  told  that  I  am  to  leave  my  pulpit, 
and  give  myself  to  social  propapanda,  I  say,  No, 
I  have  no  time  and  no  right,  however  much  my 
heart  may  break  in  the  presence  of  social  con- 
ditions, to  waste  time  and  energy  fooling  with 
the  fringe  of  things.  It  is  for  the  Christian 
preacher  and  the  Christian  Church  to  cry  aloud, 
Back  to  God,  and  so  back  to  political  emancipa- 
tion, and  to  social  order. 

Then  there  is  in  this  book  a  message  full  of 
hope  as  to  the  administration  of  God.  He  is  for- 
ever moving  towards  the  ultimate  goal,  and  never 
loses  sight  thereof.  His  methods  are  still  the 
same.  He  still  punishes  by  war,  catastrophe, 
reaction.  Take  up  the  newspaper  to-day,  and 
read  the  sad  and  awful  story  of  suicide  after  sui- 
cide on  the  other  side  of  the  sea.  What  does  it 
mean?  The  nemesis  of  impure  commercial 
methods.  God  is  surely  abroad  in  the  world, 
making  men  their  own  executioners,  when  there 
is  no  other  way  of  checking  the  floods  of  vice. 
Yet  He  is  forevermore  a  God  ready  to  pardon. 
If  this  nation  could  but  be  turned  back  to  Him, 
He  would  visit  us  again  with  His  own  salvation 
and  uplifting. 


130          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JUDGES 

Finally,  let  us  remember  that  God  always  finds 
the  providential  man  at  the  right  moment 
When  the  punishment  has  done  its  work,  and 
the  discipline  has  wrought  a  sense  of  wrong  in 
the  heart  of  the  people,  He  finds  the  deliverer. 
We  cannot  produce  him.  Let  us  be  careful  lest 
we  stone  him  when  he  comes,  for  he  will  not  ap- 
pear where  we  are  looking,  but  from  some  un- 
expected quarter. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  RUTH 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 

THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


L  The  Secrets  of  Saintship 

God,  the  Sufficiency  of  the  Trusting. 
i.  The  Difficulties. 

a.  Ruth. 

1.  A  Moabitess. 

2.  Seeing    God's    People  in   Circum- 

stances of  Suffering  and  Want. 

3.  Coming    in    Poverty  to    a   People 

hostile. 

b.  Boaz. 

1.  Living  in  Times  of  Degeneracy. 

2.  "  A  mighty  Man  of  Wealth." 

3.  Legal  difficulties  threatening  Love 

for  Ruth, 
ii.  The  Characters. 

a.  Ruth.    A  Woman  in  all  the  Grace  and 

Beauty  of  Womanhood. 

b.  Boaz.    A  Man  in  all  the  Strength  and 

Glory  of  Manhood. 
fd.  The  Secret 
a.  Ruth. 

1.  An  open  Mind. 

2.  A  personal  Choice. 

3.  Loyalty.     In  spite  of  Difficulties. 
*.  Boaz. 

1.  Loyalty.     In  midst  of  Difficulties. 

2.  His  Relation  to  God  and  his  Fellow- 

men. 

3.  Caution  and  Courage. 

11.  The  Values  of  Saintship 

The  Trusting ;  The  Instruments  of 
God. 

Boaz  and   Ruth.      Obed.     Jesse. 
DAVID. 


1.  Circumstances  neither  make  nor 
mar  Saints 


II.  The  one  Principle  of  Victory  U 
Faith 

The  Laws  of  Faith. 
An  open  Mind. 
A  personal  Decision. 
Practical  Application. 
Persistent  Courage. 


III.  The  Value  of  one  Life  to  God 
only  known  in  the  fuller  Life 
beyond 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  RUTH 

NEVER  measure  the  value  of  a  book  by 
its  bulk.     This  little  brochure  of  a  few 
pages  is  one  of  the  rarest  and  most 
beautiful  idylls  in  literature,  even  after  transla- 
tion.    In  seeking  for  its  living  message  it  is  most 
necessary  that  we  should  have  in  mind  a  well- 
defined  outline  of  the  picture  it  represents. 

The  background  is  revealed  in  the  opening 
words,  "  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  days  when 
the  judges  judged."  That  places  the  story  in 
that  period  in  the  history  of  the  Hebrew  people 
which  we  considered  in  our  lecture  on  the  book 
of  Judges.  The  events  chronicled  transpired  in 
troublous,  stormy,  and  difficult  times ;  in  the 
midst  of  religious  apostasy,  political  disorganiza- 
tion, and  social  chaos.  That  in  itself  is  suggest- 
ive, reminding  us  that  God  has  never  left  Him- 
self without  witness.  In  the  darkest  days,  the 
light  has  never  been  totally  extinguished. 

The  subsidiary  foreground  of  the  book  pre- 
sents the  persons  of  Elimelech  and  Naomi, 
Mahlon  and  Chilion,  and  Orpah ;  and  the  events 


134  THE  MESSAGE  OF  RUTH 

of  famine,  emigration,  and  the  sorrows  follow- 
ing ;  the  return  of  only  one  of  those  who  had  de- 
parted, accompanied  by  a  stranger  to  the  land ; 
and  finally  the  story  of  the  wooing  and  the  wed- 
ding. 

In  the  immediate  foreground  two  figures  stand 
out  in  bold  relief,  Ruth  and  Boaz.  The  picture 
is  of  the  Rosa  Bonheur  type,  only  a  few  lines, 
strong,  clear,  definite  ;  yet  full  of  light  and  shade. 
To  think  of  the  book  of  Ruth  is  to  think  of  Ruth 
and  Boaz.  Ultimately,  observing  the  historic 
movement  and  the  processes  of  God,  it  is  seen 
that  these  two  in  their  union  constituted  a  high- 
way for  God,  through  perils,  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  purpose. 

Taking  the  book  thus,  there  are  two  perma- 
nent values  which  I  shall  suggest.  First,  the 
book  teaches  the  secrets  of  saintship  ;  God  is  the 
sufficiency  of  trusting  souls.  Secondly,  it  teaches 
the  values  of  saintship  ;  trusting  souls  are  the  in- 
struments of  God. 

I  must  not  be  tempted  into  a  long  discussion 
of  what  is  meant  by  saintship,  but  content  my- 
self with  a  simple  yet  inclusive  definition.  A 
saint  is  a  person  separated  to  the  will  of  God. 
Ruth  and  Boaz  lived  the  life  of  saintship  in  cir- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  RUTH  135 

cumstances  of  the  utmost  difficulty,  finding  their 
sufficiency  for  such  life  in  God. 

Ruth  was  a  Moabitess,  of  an  accursed  race, 
who  according  to  the  law  of  Moses  was  not  al- 
lowed to  enter  the  congregation  of  the  covenant. 
While  this  story  finally  teaches  that  no  such  dis- 
ability remains  when  faith  in  God  is  exercised, 
we  must  not  forget  the  difficulty  as  it  existed 
for  Ruth ;  how  the  people  would  be  likely  to 
look  at  her,  how  she  herself,  as  she  came  into 
contact  with  the  religion  of  the  Hebrew  people, 
would  realize  the  greatness  of  her  distance. 
Again,  there  was  nothing  calculated  to  allure 
her,  from  the  standpoint  of  material  prosperity. 
Those  she  had  known  of  the  people  of  Jehovah 
had  been  compelled  to  leave  their  land  on  ac- 
count of  famine.  From  them  she  knew  of  the 
perils  of  those  who  had  remained  in  the  land, 
and  all  the  sadness  of  their  condition.  She  came 
back  with  Naomi  into  poverty,  and  to  people 
who  in  all  probability  were  hostile  to  them  both. 
Thus  the  saintship  of  Ruth  was  in  spite  of  diffi- 
culties, and  flourished  amid  circumstances  calcu- 
lated to  discourage  her. 

Boaz  lived  amid  people  of  privilege  in  times 
of  degeneracy.  Perhaps  there  are  no  circum- 


136  THE  MESSAGE  OF  RUTH 

stances  in  which  it  is  harder  to  live  the  life  of  the 
saint  It  is  to-day  easier  to  live  a  godly  life  in 
the  midst  of  worldly  men  and  women,  than  in 
the  midst  of  worldly  Christians.  Then  again,  he 
was  a  mighty  man  of  wealth,  and  consequently 
able  to  procure  whatever  would  contribute  to  the 
ease  of  his  material  existence.  That  condition  is 
always  perilous  to  the  life  of  faith.  It  is  to-day 
easier  to  live  an  out-and-out  Christian  life  in 
circumstances  of  stress  and  strain,  than  in  those 
of  ease  and  luxury. 

Once  more  notice  carefully  the  legal  difficulties 
threatening  his  love  for  Ruth.  There  was  a 
nearer  kinsman  than  he,  who  had  first  right ;  and 
appeal  must  be  made  to  him  ere  Boaz  could 
claim  Ruth.  There  is  a  fine  loyalty  to  principle 
manifested  in  this  man's  dealings  in  this  partic- 
ular. How  easy  it  would  have  been  for  him  to 
sacrifice  principle  in  order  to  win. 

Thus  both  Ruth  the  Moabitess,  and  Boaz  the 
man  of  Judah  were  saints,  in  spite  of  difficulties 
peculiar  to  each. 

How  full  of  beauty  they  were.  Ruth  was  a 
woman  capable  of  love,  characterized  by  mod- 
esty, of  fine  gentleness,  of  splendid  courage;  » 
woman  in  all  the  grace  and  beauty  of  woman 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  RUTH  137 

hood.  Boaz  was  a  man  of  integrity,  of  courtesy, 
of  tender  passion,  of  courage ;  a  man  in  all  the 
strength  and  glory  of  manhood. 

The  secret  in  each  case  was  that  of  the  suffi- 
ciency of  God  for  such  as  trust  Him.  In  the  case 
of  Ruth  three  things  are  dearly  manifest  First, 
she  was  a  woman  of  an  open  mind,  willing  to 
receive  the  teaching  of  Naomi.  Secondly,  she 
was  a  woman  who  at  a  crisis  made  her  own 
choice  against  all  the  prejudices  of  her  nation- 
ality, against  the  persuasion  of  Naomi,  to  whom 
she  owed  the  very  light  of  her  religion ;  sepa- 
rating herself  of  her  own  free  will  from  Moab, 
and  transferring  herself  to  Judah  and  to  Jehovah. 
Finally,  she  was  persistently,  patiently,  and  def- 
initely loyal  to  her  choice.  She  turned  her  back 
upon  the  land  of  her  birth  and  childhood,  with 
all  its  associations  and  acquaintances,  and  fol- 
lowed Naomi  until  she  had  put  the  waters  of 
Jordan  between  herself  and  Moab.  To  this 
woman  of  open  mind,  God  revealed  Himself; 
and  she,  answering  in  obedient  faith,  found  Him 
sufficient  through  all  dangers  and  difficulties, 
and  lived  the  life  of  a  saint,  full  of  beauty. 

In  the  case  of  Boaz  also  three  things  are 
worthy  of  notice.  First,  his  loyalty  to  God  in  the 


138  THE  MESSAGE  OF  RUTH 

midst  of  difficulties.  In  the  hour  when  men  took 
the  name  of  God  upon  their  lips,  while  their  lives 
were  out  of  harmony  with  their  profession,  here 
was  a  man  absolutely  loyal ;  a  man  true  in  the 
midst  of  untruth ;  a  man  of  faith  in  the  midst  of 
an  age  of  faithlessness.  Secondly,  he  was  a  man 
who  made  application  of  his  relation  to  God  in 
his  relation  to  his  fellow  men.  He  greeted  the 
men  who  worked  for  him  in  terms  which  dis- 
closed his  relation  to  God.  Yet  he  was  neither 
a  slovenly  nor  a  careless  man.  He  saw  immedi- 
ately the  stranger  in  his  fields.  He  took  per- 
sonal oversight  of  all  his  affairs,  yet  he  lived  a 
life  so  godly  as  to  be  able  to  greet  his  workmen 
in  terms  which  revealed  his  relationship  to  God. 
Finally,  he  was  a  man  of  caution  and  of  courage. 
The  two  things  are  never  far  apart.  Caution  is 
the  very  soul  of  courage.  Courage  is  the  true 
expression  of  caution.  All  these  things  reveal 
the  fact  that,  trusting  God,  Boaz  found  Him  suf- 
ficient to  enable  him  to  live  a  goodly  life  in  cir- 
cumstances of  difficulty.  Thus  the  secret  of  the 
grace  and  beauty  of  Ruth,  and  the  strength  and 
manliness  of  Boaz  lie  in  the  fact  that  in  differing 
circumstances,  they  both  lived  upon  the  same 
principle  of  simple  yet  sublime  faith  in  God. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  RUTH  139 

Such  souls  as  these  are  the  instruments 
through  which  God  is  ever  able  to  move  towards 
the  accomplishment  of  His  purposes.  The  story 
of  the  ultimate  values  of  the  faith  of  Ruth  and 
Boaz  is  told  in  the  ending  of  this  book.  Boaz 
and  Ruth,  Obed,  Jesse,  David.  So  we  see  the 
very  footsteps  of  Almighty  God.  Boaz  the 
Hebrew,  and  Ruth  the  Moabitess  in  union,  be- 
come the  highway  for  God  towards  the  ultimate 
realization  of  His  purposes. 

The  living  message  may  be  stated  in  three 
propositions.  First,  circumstances  neither  make 
nor  mar  saints.  The  difficulty  of  the  life  of 
saintship  to  the  wealthy  man  is  answered  by  the 
story  of  Boaz.  The  difficulty  of  the  life  of  faith 
to  a  poor  woman  is  answered  by  the  story  of 
Ruth. 

The  difficulty  of  living  a  godly  life  when  the 
early  training  has  been  in  the  atmosphere  of 
godliness  is  often  affirmed,  and  that  with  a 
great  amount  of  reason.  There  have  been  hours 
when  I  have  envied  the  loyalty,  the  devotion,  the 
splendour  of  the  Christian  life  of  some  man 
whose  conversion  was  a  volcanic  eruption,  after 
which  he  left  behind  him  forever  the  vulgarities 
^  the  old  life,  and  entered  into  the  graces  of  the 


MO  THE  MESSAGE  OF  RUTH 

new  with  surprising  fullness  of  experience.  It  is 
possible  to  have  been  brought  up  in  the  atmos- 
phere of  Christianity  and  so  to  lack  the  reason 
for  that  ceaseless  watchfulness  which  exists  in  the 
case  of  those  who  have  lacked  such  training. 
How  shall  we  answer  those  who  urge  this  diffi- 
culty ?  By  telling  the  story  of  Boaz. 

Some,  on  the  other  hand,  urge  quite  another 
reason,  that  of  irreligious  training.  They  lack 
the  advantages  that  others  had.  They  were 
never  sung  to  sleep  in  infancy  with  songs  of  the 
Christ  After  conversion  they  came  into  a  strange 
atmosphere,  and  have  to  learn  the  way,  and  there- 
fore so  much  cannot  be  expected  from  them  as 
from  others.  How  shall  we  answer  those  who 
thus  speak  ?  By  telling  the  story  of  Ruth.  The 
difficulties  of  privilege  in  the  case  of  Boaz.  The 
difficulties  of  limitation  in  the  case  of  Ruth.  Yet 
by  faith  they  were  non-existent,  they  were  can- 
celled, they  did  not  obtain.  The  privileged  man 
shines  with  the  lustre  of  sainthood  ;  the  woman 
lacking  all  such  privilege,  flashes  in  the  beauty 
and  glory  of  saintship.  Why  ?  Because  God  is 
the  mightiest  environment  of  any  human  life. 
Because  God  is  an  inheritance,  possessing  which, 
all  poverty  is  cancelled,  and  all  other  wealth  is 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  RUTH  141 

made  as  of  no  account.  So  I  repeat  my  first 
proposition.  Circumstances  can  neither  make 
nor  mar  saints.  If  we  cannot  begin  our  saintship 
in  the  land  of  Moab,  we  shall  never  be  saints  in 
the  land  of  Judah.  If  a  man  cannot  be  a  saint  as 
a  wealthy  man,  though  he  lose  all  his  wealth, 
poverty  will  not  make  a  saint  of  him.  If  a  man 
cannot  be  a  saint  as  a  poor  man,  wealth,  if  it 
comes  to  him,  will  in  all  probability  damn  him. 

Therefore  as  a  necessary  sequence  to  the  first 
proposition,  I  make  the  second.  The  principle  of 
victory  is  faith.  "Faith  is  the  assurance  of 
things  hoped  for,  the  proving  of  things  not  seen." 
Faith  is  the  principle  that  takes  hold  upon  God, 
and  appropriates  all  His  resources.  Faith  takes 
hold  of  that  in  God  which  man  needs,  and 
enables  God  to  take  hold  of  that  in  man  which 
He  needs.  From  both  of  these  people  I  learn 
something  of  the  laws  of  faith.  An  open  mind ; 
a  personal  decision ;  direct  application  of  the 
things  believed  to  the  details  of  every-day  life  ; 
persistent  courage  in  the  face  of  all  difficulty. 
Faith  is  not  a  sentiment  about  which  we  sing.  It 
is  an  attitude  of  life,  based  upon  the  conviction  of 
the  soul. 

Finally  the  book  teaches  the  value  to  God  of 


142  THE  MESSAGE  OF  RUTH 

that  life,  which  makes  the  great  surrender,  and 
follows  Him  in  faith.  The  value  of  such  a  life 
can  never  be  known  until  we  pass  within  the  veil. 
Remember  again  the  sequence  with  which  this 
book  closes  ;  Obed,  Jesse,  David.  Boaz  and  Ruth 
had  passed  into  the  light  ere  David  came,  the 
king  for  whom  the  nation  was  waiting,  yet  the 
sequence  did  not  end  with  David.  A  little  later 
a  prophet  from  some  height  of  vision  broke  into 
a  great  song.  "Thou,  Bethlehem  Ephrathah, 
which  art  little  to  be  among  the  thousands  of 
Judah,  out  of  thee  shall  One  come  forth  unto  Me 
that  is  to  be  ruler  in  Israel."  Far  down  the  cen- 
turies there  shone  a  light  at  midnight,  and  songs 
were  heard,  and  in  the  direct  line  of  the  man  of 
Judah  and  of  privilege,  and  the  woman  of  Moab 
and  of  limitation,  to  Bethlehem  came  the  King. 
They  did  not  see  the  issues.  They  did  not  live 
to  reap  the  ultimate  harvest  of  their  fidelity,  but 
God  found  foothold  in  the  man  and  woman  of 
faith,  and  in  their  united  lives.  That  is  the  prin- 
ciple of  which  I  think  we  need  to  be  re- 
minded, in  order  to  encourage  our  hearts  in  the 
midst  of  work.  We  talk  about  results.  If  all 
the  results  of  my  ministry  can  be  statistically 
stated,  it  is  a  dire  failure. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  RUTH  143 

Paul  was  a  saint,  cribbed,  cabined  and  con- 
fined in  prison.  It  is  impossible  to  read  his 
letters  without  being  conscious  of  a  certain 
amount  of  restlessness  as  he  made  appeal  to  his 
loved  ones,  "remember  my  bonds."  A  man 
whose  motto  was,  The  Regions  Beyond,  whose 
piercing  eye  saw  the  far  distances,  and  who  was 
profoundly  conscious  of  the  value  of  the  evangel, 
who  knew  and  wrote  "  I  am  debtor  ...  I  am 
ready ; "  was  yet  imprisoned,  and  had  to  content 
himself  with  writing  letters.  To-day  those  letters 
are  of  greater  value  than  all  his  work.  He  did 
not  know  that  presently  they  would  be  gathered 
together,  and  would  constitute  the  great  exposi- 
tion of  the  evangelical  faith  for  all  the  centuries. 

Robert  Morrison  wrote  in  his  diary,  "  This  day 
I  entered  with  Mr.  Laidler  to  learn  Latin.  I  paid 
ten  shillings  and  sixpence,  and  am  to  pay  one 
guinea  per  quarter,  I  know  not  what  may  be 
the  end.  God  only  knows."  That  ten  shillings 
and  sixpence  was  the  beginning  of  that  linguistic 
education  which  made  Morrison  the  translator  of 
the  Bible,  and  opened  the  way  for  all  the  work 
which  has  been  done  in  China  during  the  past 
century. 

These  are  but  instances,  yet  take  the  comfort 


144  THE  MESSAGE  OF  RUTH 

of  them.  May  this  be  my  last  word.  Remem- 
ber that  of  the  work  you  do  to-day  you  cannot 
see  the  issue,  if  it  is  work  wrought  by  faith  in 
God.  It  may  be  in  the  great  city  of  London,  or 
in  some  hidden  hamlet  among  the  hills  that  your 
life  will  be  lived,  small,  unknown,  never  published, 
never  noticed  either  in  the  religious  or  irreligious 
press,  and  yet  you  may  be  God's  foothold  for 
things  of  which  you  cannot  dream,  which  if  told 
you  now  you  would  not  possibly  believe.  The 
one  cry  of  my  heart  and  of  thy  heart,  comrade  of 
faith,  according  to  this  book,  should  be  a  cry  for 
out-and-out  abandonment  to  Him,  in  order  that 
by  our  loyalty  He  may  win  the  victories  of  His 
royalty. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  SAMUEL 


A 
THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 

B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 

I.  Jehovah  Reigning  by  Adaptation  and  Advance 

h  The  Absolutism  of  God 

t  Samuel. 

i.    Revealed. 

UK               J  A  Woman's  Faith  Jehovah's  Foothold. 

No    Territory   out    of 

•.  M      lan.              -j  A  Woman's  Song  His  Interpretation. 

His  Jurisdiction. 

>.  The  New  Order.    The  Prophet. 

No  Persons  beyond  His 

fi.  Preparation. 
«.  His  Work.         •<  a.  Reformation. 
(3.  Foundation  of  Kingdom. 

Control. 
No  Event  escaping  Hit 
Overruling. 

<i.  Saul. 

ii.  Interpreted. 

i.  Physical  Strength.    Fitful  and  Failing. 

Operating  towards  Ac- 

a. The  Man. 

2.  Mental  Acumen.    Moods  and  Madness. 

complishment. 

b.  The  Kingdom. 

3.  Spiritual  Life.    Torpor  and  Death. 
Disaster. 

Including  adverse 
Forces  and  Facts. 

iii.  David. 

Creating    its    own 
Agents. 

i.  A  Shepherd  in  the  Fields. 

a.  The  Training. 

a.  A  Courtier  at  the  Palace. 

3.  An  Outlaw  in  Exile. 

k.  The  Progress. 

II.  Man  Co-operating  by  Failure  and  by  Loyalty 

II.  The  Relation  of  Man 

i.  Samuel. 

i.    The  ultimate  Victory  of 

Parentage. 

God  is  independent  of 

a.  Opportunity. 
t.  Response. 

Call. 
Appointment. 
Loyal. 

the  Attitudes  of  Indi- 
viduals   or    Peoples 
towards  Him. 

c.  Issues. 

Messages  of  God  delivered. 
Work  of  God  advanced. 

ii.    The  place  of  Individuals 
or  Peoples  in  that  ulti- 

ii. Saul. 

mate     Victory    is    de- 

( Call  and  Anointing. 
».  Opportunity.      <  Friendship  for  Samuel. 

pendent  upon  their  At- 
titude towards  Him. 

(  Popularity  and  personal  Equipment. 

(  Vacillation. 
b.  Response.           \  Self-will. 
1  Disobedience. 

. 

His  Failure  a  Revelation. 

c  .  Issues. 

His  Death  a  Warning. 

iii.  David. 

Call  and  Anointing. 

a.  Opportunity. 

Waiting  and  Suffering. 

Crisis  of  Battle  with  Amalek. 

Obedience. 

t.  Response. 

Patience. 

Action. 

e.  Issues.                   An  Instrument  in  Jehovah's  Progress. 

THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  SAMUEL 

THE  two  books  of  Samuel  constitute  one 
story.  The  first  gives  the  history  of  the 
transition  from  Theocracy  to  Monarchy. 
The  inwardness  of  that  transition  is  revealed  by 
a  paragraph  in  the  eighth  chapter  "  Then  all  the 
elders  of  Israel  gathered  themselves  together,  and 
came  to  Samuel  unto  Ramah :  and  they  said 
unto  him,  Behold,  thou  art  old,  and  thy  sons 
walk  not  in  thy  ways :  now  make  us  a  king  to 
judge  us  like  all  the  nations.  But  the  thing  dis- 
pleased Samuel,  when  they  said,  Give  us  a  king 
to  judge  us.  And  Samuel  prayed  unto  the 
Lord.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Samuel,  Hearken 
unto  the  voice  of  the  people  in  all  that  they  say 
unto  thee :  for  they  have  not  rejected  thee,  but 
they  have  rejected  Me,  that  I  should  not  be  King 
over  them."  Two  brief  statements  from  that 
passage,  "  Make  us  a  king  to  judge  us  like  all 
the  nations,"  and  "They  have  rejected  Me,  that 
I  should  not  be  King  over  them,"  tell  the  story 
of  the  transition,  as  to  the  human  desire  which 
produced  it,  and  as  to  the  Divine  attitude  towards 
it  The  nation  asked  for  "  a  king  to  judge  us 

147 


148       THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  SAMUEL 

like  all  the  nations."  The  reason  for  their  ex- 
istence as  a  nation  was  that  they  should  be  unlike 
the  nations.  The  unlikeness  consisted  in  the 
{act  that  this  nation  had  as  its  only  King  Jehovah. 
The  real  meaning  of  their  request  is  therefore 
interpreted  by  the  language  of  Jehovah  to 
Samuel,  "  They  have  rejected  Me,  that  I  should 
not  be  King  over  them."  The  days  of  the 
judges  were  days  of  religious  apostasy,  political 
disorganization,  and  social  chaos ;  and  religious 
apostasy  in  the  case  of  these  people  meant  that 
they  refused  to  obey  the  King  eternal,  immortal, 
invisible.  This  attitude  expressed  itself  in  the  re- 
quest they  brought  to  Samuel,  "  Make  us  a  king 
to  judge  us  like  all  the  nations."  Sin  ever  issues 
in  an  attempt  to  substitute  the  false  for  the  true. 
That  is  the  history  of  idolatry.  Every  idol  is 
witness  to  man's  need  of  God.  The  lack  of  God 
creates  the  necessity  for  putting  something  in 
His  place.  These  men,  turning  from  God  as 
King,  desired  a  king  like  the  nations.  The 
first  book  of  Samuel  tells  the  story  of  the  immedi- 
ate issues  of  this  desire. 

The  permanent  values  of  the  book  may  be 
exclusively  expressed  in  two  statements.  Its 
supreme  revelation  is  that  of  Jehovah  reigning 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  SAMUEL       149 

by  adaptation,  in  order  to  advance.  Its  second 
value  is  that  it  reveals  the  fact  that,  under  this 
government  of  God,  men  cooperate  with  Him 
towards  the  final  issues,  either  by  failure  or  by 
loyalty.  It  would  appear  as  though  the  first  of 
these  statements — namely,  that  Jehovah  reigns 
by  adaptation  in  order  to  advance — contradicts 
His  declaration  concerning  the  people,  "They 
have  rejected  Me,  that  I  should  not  be  King 
over  them,"  and  yet  it  is  by  no  means  a  contra- 
diction. It  is  one  thing  to  reject  Jehovah,  but  it 
is  quite  another  to  dethrone  Him.  The  first  is 
possible.  The  second  is  impossible.  This  is  the 
supreme  lesson  of  the  book.  The  people,  chosen 
to  exhibit  the  breadth,  the  beauty,  and  the  benefi- 
cence of  His  government,  rejected  Him  from 
being  King,  but  they  did  not  dethrone  Him.  As 
I  watch  the  movement  of  this  story,  gathering 
around  the  three  central  figures,  Samuel,  Saul 
and  David,  the  supreme  revelation  is  not  of 
these  men,  but  of  Jehovah  reigning  by  the  adap- 
tation of  His  method  to  the  requirements  of  the 
hour,  and  so  through  disobedience  or  obedience, 
through  success  or  failure,  through  men  loyal  or 
rebellious,  moving  quietly,  steadily,  and  surely 
on.  As  our  analysis  of  the  book  suggests,  the 


150       THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  SAMUEL 

whole  movement  gathers  round  three  personali- 
ties, and  centring  our  attention  upon  them  for 
the  purpose  of  this  study,  we  must  yet  keep  in 
mind  the  prevailing  conditions. 

The  story  of  Samuel  is  introduced  by  that  of 
Hannah.  Hannah  was  a  woman  whose  faith 
became  Jehovah's  foothold,  and  whose  song  be- 
came Jehovah's  interpretation.  While  it  is  the 
glad  thanksgiving  of  a  woman  whose  prayer  has 
been  heard  and  answered,  it  is  infinitely  more. 
All  the  values  of  the  book  are  gathered  up  into 
this  song  of  the  God  who  reigns,  and  concern- 
ing whom  she  affirms : 

"  The  Lord  killeth,  and  maketh  alive : 
He  bringeth  down  to  the  grave,  and  bringeth  up. 
The  Lord  maketh  poor,  and  maketh  rich: 
He  bringeth  low,  He  also  lifteth  up. 
He  raiseth  up  the  poor  out  of  the  dust, 
He  lifteth  up  the  needy  from  the  dunghill, 
To  make  them  sit  with  princes, 
And  inherit  the  throne  of  glory." 

The  song  moves  on : 

"  They  that  strive  with  the  Lord  shall  be  broken  to 

pieces ; 

Against  them  shall  He  thunder  in  heaven  : 
The  Lord  shall  judge  the  ends  of  the  earth ; 
And  He  shall  give  strength  unto  His  king, 
And  exalt  the  horn  of  His  anointed." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  SAMUEL       151 

Samuel  was  a  prophet.  Peter,  speaking  in 
the  presence  of  the  assembled  multitude  in  Jeru- 
salem, said,  "The  prophets  from  Samuel  and 
them  that  followed  after."  In  that  reference  he 
included  the  whole  of  the  Hebrew  prophets,  be- 
ginning with  Samuel.  There  is  a  sense  in  which 
there  had  been  prophets  before  him;  indeed, 
Moses  himself  was  a  prophet  of  whom  it  is  said 
there  never  arose  another  like  him.  Yet,  in  one 
particular  respect,  Samuel  was  the  first  of  the 
prophetic  order.  The  kings  were  never  media- 
tors between  God  and  man.  The  people  rejected 
Jehovah  from  being  King,  and  so  passed  out  of 
close  communion  and  intimate  relationship  with 
Him ;  and  He  consented  in  order  to  the  fulfilling 
of  His  purpose,  but  He  never  recognized  the 
king  as  standing  between  Himself  and  them 
He  chose  their  kings  for  them,  He  allowed  the 
lust  for  a  king  to  work  itself  out  in  the  ultimate 
disaster  of  the  centuries,  but  He  never  spoke  to 
men  through  the  king,  but  always  through  the 
prophets. 

With  Samuel,  then,  the  prophet  emerges  as  the 
authoritative  representative  of  Jehovah.  Samuel, 
as  prophet,  became  the  king-maker,  finding  Saul, 
and  anointing  him;  finding  David  and  anoint- 


152       THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  SAMUEL 

ing  him  ;  and  henceforward,  when  a  Divine  mes- 
sage had  to  be  delivered  to  the  people,  it  did  not 
come  directly  from  God  to  the  king,  but  to  the 
king  and  all  the  people,  through  the  prophet. 
In  the  economy  of  God,  the  prophet's  office  was 
always  superior  to  that  of  the  king.  Thus,  when 
Jehovah  was  rejected  by  the  will  of  the  people, 
and  they  clamoured  for  a  king  like  the  other 
nations,  He  took  this  man,  the  child  of  a  woman's 
simple  faith,  trained  him  through  quiet  days  in 
the  temple  courts,  called  him  while  yet  a  boy, 
and  gave  him  a  strange  message  to  deliver,  and 
made  him  at  last  the  one  to  anoint  Saul  a  king 
after  the  people's  own  heart,  and  David  a  king 
after  God's  own  heart.  The  prophets  became 
the  mediators,  the  messengers,  the  interpreters 
of  the  law.  They  stood  between  God  and  the 
people.  Thus  Jehovah  reigned ;  and  adapting 
His  methods,  found  Samuel,  equipped  him  for 
his  work,  and  delivered  His  message  through 
him. 

The  history  of  Saul  is  one  of  the  most  tragic 
recorded  in  the  Bible,  full  of  fascination  and  of  tre- 
mendous power  in  its  appeal  to  individual  life. 
In  placing  this  man  upon  the  throne,  God  an- 
swered the  prayer  of  the  people's  rebellion, 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  SAMUEL       153 

"  Make  us  a  king  to  judge  us  like  all  the  na- 
tions." Consequently,  in  the  economy  of  God, 
Saul  became  a  revelation,  an  interpretation,  and 
a  discipline.  The  meaning  of  the  psalmist's  word 
is  revealed  in  the  method, 

"  He  gave  them  their  request  j 
But  sent  leanness  into  their  soul." 

Saul  stands  out  upon  the  page  of  Israel's  his- 
tory, an  object  lesson  in  the  real  meaning  of  their 
choice.  He  was  a  man  of  enormous  physical 
strength,  yet  fitful  and  failing  from  first  to  last ; 
a  man  of  undoubted  mental  acumen,  yet  a  man 
of  moods,  who  presently  became  a  madman ;  a 
man  as  to  spiritual  life  characterized  from  the 
very  beginning  by  torpor  and  slowness,  and  at 
last,  so  devoid  of  spiritual  illumination  and  power, 
that  he  turned  his  back  upon  Jehovah,  and  con- 
sulted a  witch  who  muttered  and  worked  incanta- 
tions. He  was  a  revelation  to  the  people  of  what 
the  possession  of  a  king  like  the  nations  really 
meant. 

Then  look  at  the  kingdom  under  Saul.  After 
he  was  chosen,  for  a  time  they  were  practically 
without  a  king.  He  manifested  his  weakness  by 
hiding  among  the  stuff  when  he  ought  imme- 


154       THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  SAMUEL 

diately  to  have  taken  hold  of  the  sceptre.  I  am 
perfectly  well  aware  that  others  interpret  that 
story  differently.  They  affirm  that  Saul  was  a 
man  of  such  extreme  modesty  that  after  he  was 
appointed  he  went  back  to  work  in  quietness, 
without  taking  the  kingdom.  Such  modesty  is 
sin.  It  is  as  great  a  sin  to  urge  modesty,  and 
keep  in  the  background  when  God  calls  to  the 
foreground  as  it  is  to  go  to  the  front,  when  God's 
appointment  is  in  the  rear.  Then  came  the  period 
of  the  wars — wars  ending  ultimately  in  the  most 
terrible  disaster.  Under  Saul's  reign  the  king- 
dom became  disorganized. 

When  we  come  to  David  again  we  see  adapta- 
tion and  advance.  Once  again  God  gave  His 
people  a  king,  but  this  time  a  man  after  His  own 
heart.  The  king  of  God's  choosing  was  a  shep- 
herd, whose  youthful  days  had  been  spent  in  the 
fields ;  a  courtier  who,  passing  from  the  fields  to 
the  palace,  became  Saul's  son-in-law ;  an  outlaw 
for  long  years,  to  use  his  own  graphic  descrip- 
tion, hunted  like  "  a  partridge  in  the  mountains." 
Through  all  these  processes  God  was  preparing 
him  for  a  kingdom,  not  merely  to  reign  over  it, 
but  to  realize  it.  As  a  shepherd,  he  loved  the 
sheep  under  his  care,  and  rescued  them  from  the* 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  SAMUEL       15$ 

paw  of  the  lion  and  the  bear.  In  the  king's  pal- 
ace he  became  accustomed  to  courtly  ways.  As 
an  outlaw  he  was  prepared  through  discipline, 
and  created  a  new  type  for  the  future  strength  of 
the  kingdom.  Thus  God  was  remaking  the  king- 
dom in  a  cave,  while  the  nation  was  going  to 
pieces  round  the  king  after  their  own  heart.  The 
kingdom  itself  was  thus  being  prepared  for  re- 
newal through  disaster.  The  special  note  in  all 
this  is  that  of  Jehovah  reigning,  moving  definitely 
forward,  pressing  into  the  service  of  His  own 
progress,  towards  the  fulfillment  of  His  purpose, 
Samuel,  Saul,  David  ;  governing  by  adaptation  ; 
taking  hold  of  the  child  of  faith  and  making  him 
a  prophet ;  taking  hold  of  physical  magnificence, 
and  by  its  failures  making  it  a  revelation  of  the 
sin  that  had  been  committed  ;  taking  hold  of  the 
shepherd  lad,  and  by  processes  making  him 
king.  Thus  God  ever  sits  high  enthroned,  and 
moves  in  victory  across  disaster  towards  ultimate 
purpose. 

The  second  value  of  this  book  is  but  the  ob- 
verse side  of  the  first,  teaching  that  man  coop- 
erates with  God  by  failure,  and  by  loyalty.  Again 
our  examination  centres  round  the  three  person- 
alities, and  its  purpose  is  not  so  much  to  show 


156       THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  SAMUEL 

the  result  of  their  attitude  as  the  process  of 
God. 

Samuel  found  his  opportunity  in  his  j^rentage, 
his  call,  his  appointment.  He  responded  to  his 
opportunity  by  loyalty.  The  issues  were  that 
the  messages  of  God  were  delivered  to  the  peo- 
ple, and  the  work  of  God  was  advanced. 

Saul  found  his  opportunity  in  his  call  and 
anointing,  in  Samuel's  friendship  for  him,  and  in 
his  popularity  and  personal  equipment.  He 
responded  by  vacillation,  by  self-will,  by  diso- 
bedience. The  issues  were  the  revelation  of  his 
failure  and  the  warning  of  his  death. 

David's  opportunities  were  his  call  and  anoint- 
ing, his  long  waiting  and  suffering,  and  finally 
the  crisis  of  the  battle  with  Amalek  in  the  hour 
of  Saul's  death.  He  responded  by  obedience 
and  patience,  and  at  the  decisive  moment  by 
definite  action.  The  issues  were  that  he  became 
the  instrument  of  Jehovah's  progress,  a  man 
through  whom  God  moved  forward  towards 
ultimate  realization. 

That  rapid  survey  shows  that  each  man  had 
his  opportunity ;  each  man  made  his  response 
thereto  ;  two  of  them  the  response  of  obedience, 
one  that  of  disobedience  ;  but  whether  by  failure 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  SAMUEL       157 

or  by  loyalty,  men  cooperate  with  God  towards 
the  final  winning  of  His  victory.  If  a  man  does 
not  cooperate  with  God  loyally,  he  is  compelled 
by  the  supremacy  of  His  throne,  by  the  sov- 
ereignty of  His  government,  to  cooperate  even 
through  his  own  disaster  and  defeat. 

I  may  quite  briefly  state  the  living  message  of 
this  book.  The  permanent  values  constitute 
that  living  message.  Let  me  state  them  in  other 
terms.  In  this  book  I  see  the  absolutism  of  God, 
and  the  relation  of  man  to  that  absolutism.  It 
first  reveals  the  absolutism  of  God.  There  is  no 
territory  outside  His  jurisdiction ;  no  person  be- 
yond His  control,  or  who  finally  escapes  His 
government;  no  event  outside  His  conscious- 
ness, or  beyond  His  overruling.  This  book  not 
only  reveals  these  things,  it  interprets  them.  It 
shows  that  this  absolutism  of  God  is  operating 
towards  accomplishment,  includes  in  its  operation 
all  adverse  facts  and  forces,  and  creates  its  own 
agents  whenever  it  is  necessary  so  to  do.  It  is 
this  living  message  that  we  need  supremely  to- 
day. 

What,  then,  is  the  relation  of  man  to  this  ab- 
solutism of  God  ?  The  ultimate  victory  is  inde- 
pendent of  the  attitudes  of  individuals  or  peoples 


158       THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  SAMUEL 

towards  Him.  Through  Samuel,  Saul  and  David, 
He  moved  right  on  towards  the  Anointed  and 
the  ultimate  Kingdom.  The  ultimate  destiny  of 
individuals  is  dependent  upon  their  attitude 
towards  Him.  Samuel  was  obedient,  and  was 
used  and  saved.  Saul  was  disobedient,  and  was 
used  and  destroyed.  David  was  obedient,  and 
was  used  and  saved.  It  does  not  at  all  matter 
what  my  attitude  towards  God  is,  as  to  His  ulti- 
mate victory.  It  matters  everything  as  to  my 
ultimate  destiny.  Everything  depends  upon  me 
as  to  my  own  destiny.  Nothing  depends  upon 
me  ultimately  as  to  His  victory.  He  will  press 
into  His  service  for  His  final  victory  all  souls  who 
are  loyal  to  Him,  and  they  will  share  in  the  rap- 
ture of  His  victory.  He  will  press  into  the  serv- 
ice of  His  ultimate  victory  all  souls  in  rebellion, 
and  they  will  share  in  the  wrath  of  His  victory. 
So  my  responsibility  must  be,  so  far  as  my  own 
destiny  is  concerned,  the  responsibility  of  obe- 
dience. This  book  inspires  a  great  song,  which 
can  best  be  uttered  in  the  words  of  the  psalmist, 
"The  Lord  reigneth  ;  let  the  earth  rejoice." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


L  God's  Opportunity  is  created  by  the  Attitude  of 

Man  towards  Him 

i.  The  Statement  of  the  Principle,    xxii.  26-28. 
ii.  The  Illustration. 

a.  The  Attitudes  of  David. 

1.  Conception  of  Supremacy,     xxii.  1-16. 

2.  Conviction  of  Righteousness,     xxii.  17-27. 

3.  Confidence  in  Mercy,     xxii.  28-46. 

4.  Conformity  of  Desire,     xxii.  47-51. 

b.  The  Answers  of  God. 

1.  The  Exercise  of  Sovereignty,     xxii.  1-3. 

2.  The  Exercise  of  Righteousness,  xxii.  21-28. 

3.  The  Exercise  of  Mercy,     xxii.  35-36. 

4.  The  Exercise  of  Salvation,     xxii.  51. 

|ii.  All  the  Resources  of  God  operative  in  the  life  of 
a  Man  in  right  Attitude.  Thus  the  Man  be- 
comes the  Instrument  of  God. 

II.  Mao's  Opportunity  is  created  by  the  Attitude  of 

God  towards  him 

L  The  Statement  of  the  Principle. 
ii.  The  Illustration. 

a.  The  Attitudes  of  Jehovah. 

1.  Purpose,     xxiii.  I. 

2.  Power,     xxiii.  2. 

3.  Principle,     xxiii.  3-4. 

4.  Persistence,     xxiii.  5. 
I.  The  Answers  of  David, 

1.  Consent. 

2.  CoSperation. 

3.  Conformity. 

4.  Confidence. 

lii.  All  the  possibilities  of  Man  realized,  because  of 
the  Attitude  of  God.  Thus  God  is  able  to 
operate  through  him. 


I  The  Lesson  of  1.  Samuel 
recognized 

That  the  ultimate  Vic- 
tory of  God  is  inde- 
pendent of  the  At- 
titudes of  Individuals 
or  Peoples  towards 
Him. 


II.  The  supreme  Matter  for 
Service  is  the  Attitude 
of  the  Soul 


III.  The  Triumph  of  a  Man  is 
the  Triumph  of  God 
over  him 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL 


A  |  ^HE  first  book  of  Samuel  closes  with  the 
introduction  of  David.    We  saw  him  in 


1 


preparation  for  his  life-work ;  in  the  fields 
as  shepherd ;  in  the  palace  as  musician  and 
courtier  ;  in  the  wilderness  as  outlaw.  He  was 
fitted  for  the  position  to  which  he  was  appointed, 
and  for  which  he  had  been  anointed.  In  the 
second  book,  we  have  the  history  of  his  specific 
contribution  to  the  purpose  of  God.  The  ques- 
tion of  preliminary  preparation  for  service  is  not 
in  view  here,  but  rather  the  service  resulting 
therefrom.  We  have  already  seen  the  threefold 
process  of  preparation  in  the  fields,  in  the  palace, 
in  exile.  In  the  fields,  the  essential  spirit  of  a 
king,  that  of  the  shepherd,  had  its  training.  In 
the  palace,  the  incidentals  of  kingliness  were 
cultivated.  In  the  exile,  fibre  was  toughened, 
and  the  king  was  prepared  for  government.  All 
these  values  are  in  this  story.  David  is  here  the 
shepherd  of  his  people,  the  centre  of  his  court, 

and  the  strong  ruler.     The  story  of  the  book  be- 

161 


162      THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL 

gins  with  the  crisis  that  brought  David  into  his 
specific  work.  Our  attention,  then,  is  fixed  upon 
him  fulfilling  the  office  of  king  under  the  direct 
government  of  God,  and  from  that  standpoint 
there  are  two  permanent  values  in  the  study. 
The  book  teaches  us  first  that  God's  opportunity 
is  created  by  the  attitude  of  man  towards  Him ; 
and  secondly,  that  man's  opportunity  is  created 
by  the  attitude  of  God  towards  him. 

In  the  appendix  to  this  book  are  two  psalms 
which  are  of  great  use,  as  they  state  the  prin- 
ciples which  the  story  illustrates.  As  in  the  first 
book  of  Samuel  the  whole  of  its  values  are  sug- 
gested in  Hannah's  song,  with  which  it  opens ; 
so  in  the  second  book  the  values  are  crystallized 
in  David's  songs,  with  which  it  closes. 

Let  us  begin  with  the  first  statement,  that 
God's  opportunity  is  created  by  the  attitude  of 
man  towards  Him.  That  principle  emerges  into 
clear  declaration  in  the  first  of  the  two  psalms : 

"  With  the  merciful  Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  merciful, 
With  the  perfect  man  Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  perfect ; 
With  the  pure  Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  pure ; 
And  with  the  perverse  Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  froward. 
And  the  afflicted  people  Thou  wilt  save  : 
But  Thine  eyes  are  upon  the  haughty,  that  Thou  mayest 
bring  them  down." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL       163 

All  of  which  means  that  God  is  to  a  man  what 
the  man  is  to  God.  That  is  the  principle.  The 
story  of  David  perfectly  illustrates  it.  The  atti- 
tude of  David  towards  God  is  revealed  as  four- 
fold. There  is  manifested  first,  his  conception  of 
the  supremacy  of  God ;  secondly,  his  conviction 
of  the  righteousness  of  God ;  thirdly,  his  confi- 
dence in  the  mercy  of  God  ;  and  finally,  his  con- 
formity of  desire  to  the  will  of  God.  There  were 
times  when  faith  faltered,  and  he  did  foolish 
things,  when  his  passion  mastered  him,  when  he 
fell  into  fearful  sin  ;  but  underneath  the  faltering 
faith  I  find  faith  which  never  faltered ;  deeper 
than  the  passion  was  the  passionate  desire  for 
holiness;  profounder  than  any  sin,  however 
heinous,  was  the  attitude  of  soul  which  could 
say,  "  My  soul  followeth  hard  after  God." 

David's  conception  of  the  Divine  supremacy  I 
need  not  stay  to  illustrate.  It  may  be  stated  su- 
perlatively. There  is  no  instance  recorded  in 
which  he  called  in  question  the  crown  rights  of 
Jehovah.  His  conviction  of  the  righteousness  of 
God  never  wavered.  Foolish  things  he  did,  aw- 
ful sins  he  committed,  but  he  never  doubted 
the  righteousness  of  God's  dealing  with  him. 
Charged  with  sin  by  the  prophet  of  God,  he  con- 


164      THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL 

fessed  it,  and  bent  himself  to  the  stroke  of  God, 
convinced  of  the  absolute  Tightness  of  the  Divine 
character  and  method.  He  had  perfect  confi- 
dence in  God's  mercy.  If  there  is  one  demon- 
stration of  confidence  in  mercy  more  powerful 
than  another,  it  is  willingness  to  be  punished. 
"  Let  us  now  fall  into  the  hand  of  the  Lord  ;  for 
His  mercies  are  great :  and  let  me  not  fall  into 
the  hand  of  man."  That  submission  to  the 
stroke  of  God  is  the  finest  revelation  of  his  con- 
fidence in  the  tenderness  of  the  Divine  heart. 
His  deepest  desire  perpetually  was  for  conform- 
ity to  the  will  of  God.  A  man  of  passion,  he  fell 
into  dark  deeds  of  crime ;  yet  through  all  the  long 
processes  of  punishment,  through  the  sin  of  his 
children,  and  the  breaking  of  his  heart  in  conse- 
quence, he  never  murmured  against  the  stroke 
of  God,  but  in  perfect  confidence  in  His  mercy, 
and  unceasing  conformity  of  desire  after  His 
will,  he  endured. 

That  attitude  created  the  Divine  opportunity. 
Over  a  man  who  had  a  conception  of  His  su- 
premacy, God  was  able  to  exercise  His  sover- 
eignty, taking  him  up,  setting  him  upon  the 
throne,  and  leading  him  in  the  administration  of 
his  kingdom.  Towards  the  man  convinced  of 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL       165 

His  righteousness,  it  was  possible  for  God  to 
exercise  that  Tightness  in  all  His  dealing  with 
him.  To  the  man  with  desire  conformed  to  as- 
piration after  Himself,  God  was  able  to  come  as 
Saviour.  Thus  all  the  forces  of  God  are  seen 
operating  in  the  life  of  a  man  in  right  attitude 
towards  Him,  and  so  this  man  became  the  in- 
strument of  God  through  whom  He  accomplished 
His  wider  purpose.  How  I  thank  God  that  it 
was  written  of  David  that  he  was  a  man  after 
God's  own  heart.  There  are  men  in  the  Bible  of 
whom  had  it  been  written,  it  could  never  have 
helped  me  as  it  does  when  I  see  it  written  of 
David — a  man  who  did  so  fall  and  fail  and  stoop 
to  sin.  Why  does  it  help  me  ?  Because  it  ex- 
cuses sin  ?  A  thousand  times  no !  but  because 
it  shows  me  that  God's  measurement  of  a  man, 
and  God's  ability  to  deal  with  a  man,  depend 
upon  the  deepest  aspiration  in  that  man's  heart ; 
and  that  God  takes  the  measurement  of  a  man 
by  what  he  wills  to  be,  and  not  by  the  faltering 
and  failing  of  the  moment.  Even  David  could 
look  up  into  the  face  of  God,  and  say,  "The 
Lord  will  perfect  that  which  concerned!  me." 
This  is  the  first  great  revelation  of  the  book,  that 
God's  opportunity  to  make  me  and  use  me  is 


166       THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL 

created  by  the  deep,  underlying,  positive  attitude 
of  my  life  towards  Him. 

Now  we  may  turn  to  the  other  side.  Whence 
came  these  attitudes  of  David  towards  God? 
How  is  it  that  they  came  to  be  such,  as  I  have 
attempted  to  epitomize  as  a  conception  of  su- 
premacy, a  conviction  of  righteousness,  a  confi- 
dence in  mercy,  a  conformity  of  desire.  The  at- 
titude of  God  towards  David  created  David's 
attitude  towards  God.  This  attitude  David  de- 
scribed in  the  second  of  the  two  psalms  already 
referred  to.  Let  us  rapidly  survey  it  It  first 
declares  the  purpose  of  God : 

"  David,  the  son  of  Jesse,  saith, 
And  the  man  who  was  raised  on  high  saith, 
The  anointed  of  the  God  of  Jacob, 
And  the  sweet  psalmist  of  Israel." 

It  then  reveals  a  secret  of  power : 

"  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  spake  by  me, 
And  His  word  was  upon  my  tongue." 

It  then  affirms  a  principle  of  kingship  : 

"  The  God  of  Israel  said, 
The  Rock  of  Israel  spake  to  me  : 
One  that  ruleth  over  men  righteously, 
That  ruleth  in  the  fear  of  God, 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL      167 

He  shall  be  as  the  light  of  the  morning,  when  the  sun 

riseth, 

A  morning  without  clouds  ; 
When  the  tender  grass  springeth  out  of  the  earth, 
Through  clear  shining  after  rain." 


It  finally  declares  the  Divine  persistence : 

"  Verily  my  house  is  not  so  with  God  ; 

Yet  He  hath  made  with  me  an  everlasting  covenant, 
Ordered  in  all  things,  and  sure : 
For  it  is  all  my  salvation,  and  all  my  desire, 
Although  He  maketh  it  not  to  grow." 

These  are  the  attitudes  of  God  towards  David  as 
he  understood  them — purpose,  power,  principle 
and  persistence,  and  they  created  his  attitude 
towards  God. 

The  purpose  of  God  as  manifested.  The  singer 
evidently  recognized  that  his  appointment  to 
kingship  was  Divine,  and  poetically  he  describes 
that,  both  as  to  the  man  upon  whom  the  choice 
of  God  rested,  and  the  ultimate  issue  of  the 
choice.  He  did  not  sing  of  the  anointed  of  the 
God  of  Israel,  but  of  the  anointed  of  the  God  of 
Jacob ;  that  is,  the  God  of  the  man  Jacob  in  all 
his  meanness  chose  David  to  be  king ;  and  in 
the  fact  as  stated  there  is  a  suggestion  of  his 


168       THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL 

consciousness  of  his  own  unworthiness.  The 
man  so  anointed  became  not  the  sweet  psalmist 
of  Jacob,  for  songs  cannot  proceed  out  of  mean- 
ness, but  the  sweet  psalmist  of  Israel,  for  God 
can  change  Jacob  to  Israel,  and  so  make  pos- 
sible all  songs.  That  was  the  Divine  purpose, 
and  David's  assurance  of  it  created  his  attitude 
towards  God. 

The  power  of  God  as  known.  The  state- 
ment "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  spake  by  me,  and 
His  word  was  upon  my  tongue,"  is  poetically 
true  to  his  previous  description  of  himself  as 
"  the  sweet  psalmist  of  Israel,"  but  it  contains 
the  whole  philosophy  of  godly  life.  It  is  not 
merely  a  statement  that  he  was  inspired  when 
he  sang  his  song,  but  that  the  inspiration  of  his 
life  was  that  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  and  the 
expression  of  it  was  the  word  spoken.  The 
New  Testament  equivalent  of  the  verse  is, 
"Work  out  your  own  salvation  with  fear  and 
trembling ;  for  it  is  God  which  worketh  in  you 
both  to  will  and  to  work,  for  His  good  pleasure." 
Thus  the  singer  was  assured,  in  the  second 
place,  that  God's  power  was  commensurate  with 
all  His  purpose. 

The  principle  of  God  for  his  guidance.     The 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL       169 

king  who  rules  righteously  and  in  the  fear  of 
God  is  a  benediction  to  his  people ;  the  benedic- 
tion of  the  rising  sun  in  the  morning,  when 
there  are  no  clouds.  The  king  who  rules  his 
people  righteously  is  like  sunlight  after  rain.  It 
is  somewhat  difficult  in  this  country  to  appreciate 
the  beauty  of  the  figure.  In  the  country  of 
David  all  the  land  is  parched  and  burned  and 
brown  after  the  summer  drought.  Then  there 
comes  a  day  of  sweet,  silent  rain,  followed  by 
clear  shining ;  and  suddenly,  like  a  flash  of 
emerald,  all  the  earth  is  green.  This  was  the 
singer's  picture  of  the  result  of  the  exercise  of 
kingship  in  the  fear  of  God,  and  in  righteous- 
ness. This  does  not  seem  to  help  us,  yet  the 
principle  is  applicable  to  all.  When  God  would 
prepare  David  for  the  exercise  of  kingship,  He 
did  so  by  giving  him  a  picture  of  the  final  King ; 
and  whatever  He  wills  that  we  should  be,  and  do 
for  Him,  He  reveals  to  us  the  pattern  in  His 
Son. 

The  persistence  of  God.  Notwithstanding 
this  threefold  revelation  of  purpose,  power,  and 
principle,  David  was  compelled  to  say,  "  My 

house  is  not  so  with  God  ;  yet "     Thank  God 

for  that  "  yet " !    There  is  all  the  Gospel  in  it 


i/o       THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL 

for  my  heart !  "  Yet  He  hath  made  with  me  an 
everlasting  covenant,  ordered  in  all  things  and 
sure."  Thus  David  affirmed  finally  his  con< 
fidence  in  the  persistence  of  Jehovah. 

How  did  he  answer  these  attitudes  of  God, 
which  created  his  opportunity?  He  heard  the 
purpose,  and  consented  to  it.  Saul  the  anointed 
king  hid  behind  the  stuff.  David  the  anointed 
king  moved  right  on  with  his  eye  upon  the  goal, 
never  turning  back.  Conscious  of  the  Divine 
power,  he  answered  it,  and  cooperated  with  it. 
He  felt  the  power,  and  responded  to  it.  "  The 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  spake  by  me,  and  His  word 
was  upon  my  tongue."  Mark  well  the  intimate 
relationship  between  these  things.  Whittier 
sang  beautifully  of  men  who  die  with  all  their 
music  in  them.  I  do  not  criticize  Whittier. 
There  are  people  who  die  with  all  their  music  in 
them,  who  never  had  their  chance  to  sing.  But 
if  we  have  music  in  us,  and  can  express  it,  we 
have  no  business  to  die  with  it  in  us.  "It  is 
God  which  worketh  in  you  .  .  .  work  out" 
That  is  the  principle  of  salvation. 

The  principle  of  kingship  is  revealed,  and 
while  David  certainly  failed,  he  yet  conformed 
thereto.  Think  of  the  condition  of  the  kingdom 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL       171 

when  he  came  to  it ;  then  see  it  as  he  left  it. 
From  utter  political  and  social  chaos  he  had 
brought  it  to  its  highest  realization.  Solomon 
stands  out  upon  the  page  of  Bible  history  in 
lonely  and  wonderful  splendour  in  certain  direc- 
tions ;  but  as  king  he  was  a  disastrous  failure,  so 
much  so  that  when  he  died  the  kingdom  was 
rent  in  twain.  Solomon  was  the  Lorenzo  de 
Medici  of  Hebrew  history,  solacing  the  people 
for  lack  of  liberty  with  shows  and  pageantry ; 
and  God  help  the  people  when  they  are  so  se- 
duced. David  lifted  Israel  to  its  heroic  age,  to 
its  finest  and  its  best.  He  was  imperfect,  and 
his  kingdom  was  imperfect,  but  by  comparison 
he  answered  the  revelation  of  that  principle  so 
that  it  was  fulfilled  in  measure  in  his  history. 

His  answer  to  the  persistence  of  God  was  that 
of  his  perfect  confidence  in  it.  It  was  that  confi- 
dence which  made  him  write  his  penitential 
psalms.  When  we  speak  of  David's  sins  let  us 
in  all  fairness  speak  also  of  his  penitence.  When 
we  would  know  how  deep  his  penitence  was,  let 
us  hear  his  declaration,  "Against  Thee,  Thee 
only,  have  I  sinned."  That  is  the  language  of  a 
man  dealing  with  the  profoundest  things  of  life. 
Of  course,  if  men  deal  with  the  surface  ripples 


172       THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL 

only,  they  will  say  that  God  is  not  harmed  by 
human  sin ;  but  to  know  God  is  finally  to  ex- 
claim of  every  sin,  "  Against  Thee,  Thee  only, 
have  I  sinned."  Yet  such  a  confession  demon- 
strates the  consciousness  of  the  persistence  of 
God  in  mercy.  I  would  be  overwhelmed  by  my 
sin,  and  by  my  sin  made  careless  of  sin,  and 
ultimately  by  my  sin  made  to  continue  in  sin, 
were  it  not  that  I  know  the  infinite  goodness  of 
God  is  set  upon  delivering  me,  if  I  will  but  stand 
in  right  attitude  towards  Him.  Thus  God  was 
able  to  operate  through  David,  His  opportunity 
being  created  by  David's  attitude  towards  Him ; 
yet  that  attitude  of  David  towards  God  was  the 
result  of  His  attitude  towards  David.  The 
deepest  truth  of  all  in  this  revelation  of  inter-re- 
lationship is  that  of  God's  attitude  towards  a 
man.  Man's  responsibility  is  created  thereby. 
His  responsibility  is  that  of  his  attitude,  and  that 
in  turn  decides  the  Divine  action. 

The  living  message  of  this  book  is  patent.  In 
order  to  understand  it,  one  of  the  lessons  of  the 
first  book  of  Samuel  must  be  remembered, 
namely,  that  the  ultimate  victory  of  God  is  inde- 
pendent of  the  attitude  of  individuals  or  peoples 
towards  Him.  With  that  clearly  in  mind,  it  will 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL       173 

be  recognized  that  the  supreme  matter  for  co- 
operation in  service  is  the  attitude  of  the  soul 
towards  God.  Fitness  for  service  is  created  by 
the  conformity  of  the  life  to  the  will  of  God. 
Conformity  of  the  life  depends  wholly  upon  the 
attitude  of  the  soul  towards  God.  The  con- 
formity of  my  life  to  the  will  of  God  does  not 
depend  upon  my  ability,  but  upon  my  abandon- 
ment ;  not  upon  my  persuading  God  to  do  some- 
thing, but  upon  my  allowing  myself  to  be  per- 
suaded by  God  to  be  something.  The  attitude 
of  conformity  is  that  of  being  willing  to  know, 
to  be,  to  do  His  will.  By  that  attitude  God 
measures  a  man,  and  through  that  attitude  acts 
with  a  man. 

That  doctrine  is  a  two-edged  sword.  God  is 
measuring  me  not  as  man  would  measure  me. 
I  am  prone  to  measure  a  man  by  the  last  sin  he 
has  committed.  God  never  does.  He  measures 
by  the  attitude  of  his  soul.  This  doctrine  is  full 
of  comfort,  but  it  is  awful  in  its  severity.  What 
is  my  attitude  towards  God  ?  Have  I  lived  a 
clean  life?  Would  I,  if  I  had  had  the  chance  to 
live  a  filthy  one  ?  That  is  the  question.  Half 
the  purity  in  which  some  men  boast  is  a  ques- 
tion of  birth  and  of  environment.  We  talk  of 


1/4      THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  SAMUEL 

other  men  living  in  the  underworld.  The  ques- 
tion is,  would  we  live  there  if  we  could  ?  If  so, 
God  measures  us  as  in  the  underworld.  This  is 
fire.  It  scorches,  it  burns.  God  have  mercy  on 
me,  a  sinner. 

Yes,  but  are  you  down?  Have  you  com- 
mitted a  sin?  Are  your  Christian  friends  not 
quite  so  friendly  as  they  were,  in  consequence ; 
yet  all  the  while  do  you  want  to  go  right? 
Then  that  attitude  of  your  soul  is  God's  meas- 
urement of  you. 

Yes,  but  do  not  let  us  slip  out  by  that  door,  if 
all  the  while  we  want  to  do  the  evil  thing.  Let 
us  be  careful.  God  help  us  to  discriminate. 
We  need  supremely  to  guard  against  dispropor- 
tionate excuse  or  accusing. 

Now  do  you  not  see  the  sin  of  the  priestcraft  ? 
Who  is  to  come  in  between  the  soul  and  God  ? 
I  am  only  an  interpreter  of  principles.  I  dare 
not  bare  my  soul  to  you,  and  would  not  have 
you  bare  yours  to  me.  David  was  a  man  after 
God's  own  heart,  because  of  the  posture  of  his 
soul ;  and  God  at  last  fulfilled  the  underlying  de- 
sire of  his  heart.  The  triumph  of  a  man  is  the 
triumph  of  God  over  him,  and  man  only  wins 
when  he  yields  to  Him. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  The  failing  Government  of  Man 
i.  See  Chart  of  Content. 
ii.  The  successive  Methods. 

a.  Solomon.     Material  Magnificence. 

b.  Rehoboam.     Autocracy. 

c.  Jeroboam.     Democracy. 

d.  Judah.     Succession  and  Policy. 

e.  Israel.     Intrigues,  Murders,  and  Rebellion, 
iii.  Disruption.     Disintegration.     Disaster. 

II.  The  unfailing  Government  of  God 

i.  The  prophetic  Voices. 

a.  Ahijah.     xi.  26-39. 

b.  Shemaiah.     xii.  21-24. 

c.  "  The  Man  of  God."     xiii.  l-io. 

d.  Ahijah.  xiv.  4-16. 

e.  Jehu.     xvi.  1-4. 

f.  Elijah,     xvii.-xxi. 

g.  Micaiah.     xxii.  8-28. 
ii.  The  direct  Interference. 

a.  Appearances    to   Solomon,   and   Building  of 

Temple. 

b.  Adversaries  raised  up  against  Solomon. 

c.  Death  of  Abijah. 

d.  Withdrawal  of  Rain,  and  consequent  Famine. 

e.  Carmel  and  Fire. 

f.  Appearance  to  Elijah  in  Earthquake. 

g.  Spirit  of  Lying  in  Prophets  to  entice  Ahab  to 

Battle. 


I.  As  to  Human  Government 

If  God  be  out  of  count, 
every  Method  ends 
in  Disaster. 


II.  As  to  Divine  Government 

The  abandonment  of 
the  Thrones  of 
Earth. 


The  Witness  of  Truth. 


Direct  Interference. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS 

THIS  book  is  bounded  by  death.  Open- 
ing with  the  death  of  David,  and  clos- 
ing with  the  death  of  Ahab,  it  covers 
a  period  of  a  little  more  than  a  century  and  a 
half.  The  story  which  it  tells  is  that  of  a  nation 
passing  from  affluence  and  influence  to  poverty 
and  paralysis.  In  order  to  discover  the  perma- 
nent values  of  this  book  we  must  keep  before  the 
mind  two  thrones — that  on  earth  with  its  succes- 
sion of  kings,  and  that  in  the  heavens  with  its 
one  King.  In  looking  at  the  former  we  see  the 
failing  government  of  men,  and  in  looking  at  the 
latter  we  see  the  unfailing  government  of  God. 

In  order  that  we  may  see  the  two  thrones  let 
us  glance  at  a  very  simple  chart : 


JEHOVAH. 

Samuel.                 (Saul). 

Nathan. 

DAVID. 

Ahijah. 

Solomon. 

Shemaiah. 

Rehoboam. 

Jeroboam. 

A  man  of  God. 

! 

1 

Abijam. 

Nadab. 

Jehu. 

Asa. 

Baasha. 

Elah. 

Zimri. 

Omri. 

Elijah. 

Jehoshaphat. 

Ahab. 

A  son  of  prophet. 

Micaiah. 

Ahaziah, 


177 


i;8         THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS 

There  Jehovah  stands  for  the  one  Throne  and 
the  abiding  King.  Deflected  from  the  Throne  is 
the  throne  set  up  on  earth,  with  the  names  of 
the  succeeding  kings  as  far  as  Ahab,  where  our 
present  book  ends.  Beneath  the  name  of  Jeho- 
vah are  the  names  of  the  prophets  through  whom 
He  delivered  His  messages,  and  maintained  His 
connection  with  the  people  through  this  period  in 
which,  to  use  His  own  words,  the  nation  had  re- 
jected Him  from  being  King. 

Turning  our  attention  first  to  the  throne  on  the 
earth,  we  observe  the  succession  of  kings.  Jeho- 
vah first  gave  them  Saul,  a  king  after  their  own 
heart.  Then  with  David,  the  man  after  God's 
own  heart,  commenced  the  succession  which 
r*aHaed  *jje  pOjnt  of  supreme  darkness  in  Ahab. 
THIS  /s  a  story  of  disruption,  disintegration,  and 
disaster. 

On  the  other  hand,  in  fixing  our  attention  upon 
the  Throne  in  the  heavens,  we  see  the  one  King 
maintaining  His  rule  ;  and,  through  the  prophets, 
from  Samuel  to  Elijah,  declaring  His  message. 
This  is  a  story  of  government,  grace,  and  guid- 
ance. 

In  this  order  let  us  consider  the  teaching  of 
the  two  thrones. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS          179 

Looking  first  at  the  earthly  throne,  we  notice 
the  successive  methods  of  government.  In  some 
senses  there  is  only  one,  that  of  monarchy  ;  but 
monarchs  have  different  methods.  Our  English 
government  to-day  is  described  as  a  monarchy  ; 
so  also  is  the  Russian  ;  but  no  one  will  suggest 
that  their  methods  are  the  same.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  King  of  England  has  nothing  like  the 
executive  power  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States  of  America.  While  in  this  book  we  have 
the  story  of  kings,  their  methods  are  quite  dif- 
ferent. As  we  look  at  these  methods  we  shall 
see  a  nation,  having  rejected  Jehovah  from  being 
King,  attempting  to  govern  itself.  The  people 
named  the  name  of  Jehovah,  built  His  temple, 
sang  His  songs,  and  offered  His  sacrifices  ;  but 
men  may  do  all  these,  and  be  infidel.  This 
nation  still  used  the  terminology,  and  observed 
the  ceremonial  of  the  worship  of  Jehovah,  but 
attempted  to  govern  itself. 

The  story  of  David  occupied  our  attention  in 
our  last  lecture.  In  observing  the  successive 
methods,  therefore,  we  commence  with  Solomon. 
His  method  was  that  of  material  magnificence. 
There  may  be  some  senses  in  which  that  descrip- 
tion may  seem  incomplete,  yet  I  think  it  in- 


i8o         THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS 

eludes  the  whole  story.  Let  the  facts  be  recalled. 
First  there  was  the  organization  of  the  kingdom, 
and  the  building  of  the  temple.  Through  both 
these  processes  there  was  the  multiplication  of 
riches,  and  the  manifestation  of  display.  The 
failure  of  Solomon  began  long  before  it  became 
outward,  patent,  manifest.  From  the  beginning 
there  may  be  detected  the  activity  of  that  sensual 
nature  which  issued  in  such  inevitable  and 
disastrous  ruin.  He  was  called  Solomon  the 
Magnificent,  the  Wise,  the  Peaceful;  but  the 
true  story  of  his  reign  is  told  in  one  brief,  almost 
startling  sentence,  when  "  all  the  congregation  of 
Israel  came,  and  spake  unto  Rehoboam,  saying, 
Thy  father  made  our  yoke  grievous"  For  some- 
thing like  a  parallel  to  the  reign  of  Solomon,  we 
may  go  to  Italy  and  look  at  Florence  under  the 
sway  of  Lorenzo  de  Medici.  Lorenzo  was  also  a 
magnificent  man,  a  philosopher  and  a  scholar; 
but  in  cruel  despotism  he  robbed  the  people  of 
Florence  of  their  liberty,  silencing  and  solacing 
them  with  pageantry,  shows,  and  pomp.  Mrs. 
Oliphant  describes  the  condition  of  affairs  in 
graphic  words  when  she  writes,  "  Fair  Florence 
lying  in  bonds  or,  rather,  dancing  in  them,  with 
smear  of  blood  upon  her  garments  and  loath- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS          181 

some  song  upon  her  lips."  It  was  against  that 
condition  of  affairs  that  Savonarola  raised  his 
voice  in  protest.  That  is  very  largely  the  story 
also  of  Solomon's  reign.  All  that  Samuel  had 
told  the  people  concerning  the  effect  of  kingship 
was  fulfilled  in  even  more  marked  degree  under 
Solomon  than  under  Saul.  He  attempted  to 
govern  the  people  by  magnificent  display  and 
material  grandeur  ;  and  failure  is  seen  in  the  dis- 
ruption of  the  kingdom,  following  upon  long 
continued  disaffection,  immediately  Solomon  was 
removed. 

To  Rehoboam  the  people  gathered  in  discon- 
tent, saying,  "  Thy  father  made  our  yoke  griev- 
ous." To  their  complaint  he  replied,  "  My  little 
finger  is  thicker  than  my  father's  loins.  And 
now  whereas  my  father  did  lade  you  with  a 
heavy  yoke,  I  will  add  to  your  yoke :  my  father 
chastised  you  with  whips,  but  I  will  chastise  you 
with  scorpions."  Here  a  new  method  of  govern- 
ment emerges,  that  of  autocracy.  Rehoboam's 
language  was  essentially  that  of  the  autocrat, 
and  he  was  the  almost  necessary  offspring  of 
Solomon. 

In  Jeroboam  another  method  is  seen.  Of 
course,  it  must  be  remembered  tnat  he  was 


1 82         THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS 

Divinely  called.  God  distinctly  announced  to 
him  by  the  prophet  that  He  would  rend  the 
kingdom  in  twain,  because  of  the  corruption  of 
the  reign  of  Solomon ;  that  He  would  leave  one 
tribe  for  Rehoboam  that  a  lamp  might  be  main- 
tained for  the  house  of  David  ;  and  that  the  rest 
of  the  people  should  gather  to  him,  and  he 
should  reign  over  them.  Nevertheless,  he  imme- 
diately turned  aside  from  allegiance  to  Jehovah, 
and  attempted  to  govern  on  other  lines.  His 
first  act  was  that  of  political  accommodation  in 
the  realm  of  religion.  "  Whereupon  the  king 
took  counsel,  and  made  two  calves  of  gold ;  and 
he  said  unto  them,  It  is  too  much  for  you  to  go 
up  to  Jerusalem:  behold  thy  gods,  O  Israel, 
which  brought  thee  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt." 
This  is  a  revelation  of  his  constant  method  of 
appeal  to  democracy.  Rehoboam  was  an  auto- 
crat, who  believed  that  the  people  should  trust 
in  princes.  Jeroboam  was  a  democrat,  who  be- 
lieved that  princes  should  trust  in  the  people. 
Neither  of  them  trusted  in  Jehovah,  and  they 
failed  equally.  The  result  of  Rehoboam' s  autoc- 
racy was  that  the  people  said,  "  What  portion 
have  we  in  David?  .  .  .  To  your  tents,  O 
Israel."  The  issue  of  Jeroboam's  democracy  was 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS          183 

that  the  people  had  their  religion  made  easy, 
were  content  with  calves,  and  became  corrupt. 

As  to  the  rest.  In  Judah,  Abijam,  Asa,  and 
Jehoshaphat  constituted  a  succession  of  kings 
reigning  by  policy,  with  God  largely  shut  out 
of  their  thoughts.  Asa's  reign  was  in  many  re- 
spects better  than  that  of  Abijam,  yet  there  was 
manifest  ultimately  a  fear  and  cowardice,  which 
led  him  to  a  base  act  of  compromise.  Jehosha- 
phat walked  timidly  in  paths  of  right,  failing  to 
act  with  thoroughness,  and  finally  entered  into 
an  unholy  alliance  with  the  king  of  Israel.  The 
story  of  those  kings  of  Judah  is  that  of  govern- 
ment by  policy. 

Turning  to  Israel  we  find  even  more  terrible 
failure  in  a  succession  of  men  who  cared  nothing 
for  the  welfare  of  the  kingdom,  and  esteemed 
the  throne  only  as  a  prize  for  personal  posses- 
sion. There  was  succession  by  intrigue  and 
murder  of  men  who  absolutely  ignored  the 
Throne  of  Jehovah,  and  led  the  people  further 
and  further  into  evil.  With  Omri,  a  man  elected 
by  popular  acclaim,  there  was  a  new  beginning, 
but  it  was  a  new  beginning  of  the  old  sin  and 
folly.  Then  we  come  to  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  a 
marvellous  combination  of  strength  and  wit ;  in 


1 84         THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS 

both,  tremendous  force  of  character  was  prosti- 
tuted to  base  purposes,  and  the  whole  nation 
groaned  under  the  dominion,  and  was  en- 
slaved by  it.  At  last  Ahaziah  succeeded,  but 
the  story  of  sin  and  folly,  of  idolatry  and  disaster 
ran  on. 

Government  by  man  means  disruption,  disinte- 
gration, and  disaster.  He  cannot  govern  him- 
self. Whether  by  material  magnificence,  or  by 
the  assumption  of  autocratic  power,  or  by  appeal 
to  democratic  desire,  or  in  any  other  way,  all 
government  of  man  by  man  is  a  disastrous  fail- 
ure. This  is  the  story  writ  large  upon  the  page 
of  the  first  book  of  Kings. 

Turning  to  the  Throne  in  the  heavens  we  ob- 
serve the  unfailing  government  of  God.  This  is 
manifest  first  in  the  voices  of  prophecy  which 
break  in  upon  the  confused  babel  with  sudden- 
ness, in  distinct  proclamations.  Ahijah  declared 
that  after  the  death  of  Solomon  the  kingdom 
would  be  rent  in  twain,  and  later  foretold  the 
death  of  the  son  of  Jeroboam.  Shemaiah  warned 
Rehoboam  not  to  fight  against  Jeroboam.  A 
nameless  man  of  God  appeared  suddenly  to 
Jeroboam,  and  prophesied  against  the  altar. 
Jehu  pronounced  the  doom  to  fall  upon  Baasha. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS         185 

Elijah,  in  the  hour  when  the  darkness  was  deep- 
est, appeared  suddenly  as  a  flash  of  lightning  at 
midnight.  He  proclaimed  Jehovah  in  tones  of 
thunder ;  and  vindicated  Him  at  Carmel,  and  in 
the  matter  of  Naboth's  vineyard.  A  son  of  the 
prophets  rebuked  Ahab  for  allowing  Benhadad 
to  escape.  Micaiah,  in  spite  of  all  that  was  done 
to  prevent  him,  declared  the  coming  scattering 
of  Israel  upon  the  mountains.  In  these  appear- 
ances of  the  prophets,  and  their  testimony  borne, 
I  see  Jehovah  governing  independently  of  the 
throne  of  earth,  when  that  throne  was  occupied 
by  men  who  forgot  Him. 

The  government  of  Jehovah  was  more  than 
that  of  testimony.  It  operated  in  direct  inter- 
ferences. He  appeared  to  Solomon,  and  the 
building  of  the  temple  resulted  therefrom.  The 
story  of  Solomon's  punishment  begins  with  the 
declaration,  "The  Lord  raised  up  an  adversary 
unto  Solomon."  In  the  withdrawal  of  rain  and 
the  consequent  famine,  and  in  the  awe-inspiring 
scenes  on  Carmel,  Jehovah  declared  Himself  by 
direct  interference  in  the  affairs  of  the  sinning 
people. 

Thus,  high  lifted  above  the  forces  of  battle, 
pressing  into  His  service  spirits  of  evil  as  well  as 


i86         THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS 

forces  of  good,  bringing  men  from  distant  lands 
as  adversaries,  manipulating  history  even  while 
men  in  history  had  rejected  Him,  is  seen  the  One 
enthroned  Jehovah.  The  throne  on  earth  never 
rightly  filled,  occupied  by  a  succession  of  men 
who  attempted  all  methods  of  government,  each 
in  succession  disastrously  failing ;  the  Throne  in 
heaven  filled,  and  never  shaken.  Over  all  the 
chaos  God  reigned  towards  order. 

The  living  message  of  this  book  is  not  about 
the  temple  in  its  structure,  interesting  though 
that  story  is.  It  is  not  merely  a  history  of  the 
Hebrew  nation.  That  also  is  interesting  and  im- 
portant in  some  senses.  This  book  has  some- 
thing to  say  to  us  about  human  government 
and  about  Divine  government,  which  it  is  well 
for  us  to  hear  and  heed.  Concerning  human 
government  it  declares  one  thing.  If  God  be  out 
of  count,  every  method  ends  in  disaster.  In  the 
earlier  part  of  Solomon's  reign  attention  was 
given  to  religious  forms  and  ceremonies,  to  in- 
ternal development,  to  commercial  treaties,  to  in- 
tellectual attainment.  Yet  all  failed  because  God 
was  out  of  count  Religious  forms  and  ceremo- 
nies are  grave-cloths  if  the  spirit  be  not  right  with 
God.  A  nation  cannot  be  governed  by  insisting 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS          187 

that  it  shall  adopt  religious  forms  or  ceremonies. 
Neither  can  a  nation  be  governed  by  internal  de- 
velopment, or  commercial  treaties,  or  ships  which 
ply  to  Tarshish  bringing  back  apes  and  pea- 
cocks, and  with  them  disaster  and  ruin.  Govern- 
ment based  upon  human  autocracy  must  end  in 
revolution  sooner  or  later,  when  the  people,  op- 
pressed by  one  of  their  number  who  does  not  un- 
derstand them,  and  cannot  govern  them  in  their 
own  interests  but  only  in  his  own,  begin  to 
straighten  themselves  in  the  power  of  an  inherent 
relationship  to  Deity.  Shut  God  out  of  the  ques- 
tion, and  democracy  will  be  the  most  awful 
tyranny  the  world  has  ever  seen.  We  are  to-day 
dealing  with  forces  we  hardly  understand.  So- 
cialism that  is  godless  will  be  a  reign  of  terror 
indeed.  Once  teach  men  to  consolidate  and 
combine  for  their  own  interests,  without  refer- 
ence to  the  Throne  of  God,  and  the  result  will  be 
the  utmost  disaster.  Man  cannot  govern  him- 
self, for  he  does  not  know  himself.  How  then 
can  he  govern  others  of  whom  he  knows  so  much 
less,  or  how  can  two  govern  a  third,  or  a  multi- 
tude govern  itself?  It  cannot  be.  There  are 
forces  and  facts  in  one  human  being  that  defy 
the  government  of  all  human  beings.  If  man  put 


1 88         THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS 

God  out  of  count,  I  care  not  whether  his  method 
of  government  be  autocracy  or  democracy, 
whether  it  be  individualism  or  socialism,  it  will 
fail  disastrously. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  book  of  Kings  has  a 
living  message  concerning  Divine  government. 
Of  course  it  cannot  tell  all  the  glorious  issue  of 
such  government,  because  it  is  in  itself  a  story  of 
failure.  We  have  to  come  a  good  deal  further 
on  before  we  see  the  issue.  The  world  has  never 
yet  seen  it  realized,  but  it  will  see  it.  It  is  be- 
cause we  believe  that,  some  of  us  love  to  revel 
amid  the  mystic  mysteries  of  the  Apocalypse, 
even  though  we  do  not  profess  to  understand  all 
its  suggestiveness.  One  man,  the  seer  of  the 
Galilean  lake,  on  the  lonely  island  of  Patmos,  its 
shores  washed  by  waters,  looked  and  saw  the  city 
of  God  coming  down  out  of  heaven  from  God, 
and  heard  the  greatest  chorus  that  poets  have 
ever  sung,  "  Behold,  the  tabernacle  of  God  is 
with  men,  and  He  shall  dwell  with  them,  and 
they  shall  be  His  peoples,  and  God  Himself 
shall  be  with  them,  and  be  their  God."  That 
day  has  not  yet  come.  It  is  coming.  God  help 
us  to  share  the  travail  which  makes  it  come. 

This  book  of  Kings  does  not  give  us  that  vision 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS          189 

of  the  ultimate,  but  it  does  reveal  God's  method 
in  the  midst  of  failure.  It  is  first  that  of  aban- 
donment of  the  throne  of  earth.  He  acted  in 
separation  from  it.  This  abandonment  was  not 
capricious.  So  long  as  the  kings  were  in  re- 
bellion, so  long  as  they  forgot  Him  and  His 
Throne,  and  sought  to  establish  government 
without  Him,  He  abandoned  them  in  order  that 
their  evil  choice  might  work  itself  out  into  mani- 
festation. This  book,  moreover,  teaches  us  that 
God  bears  perpetual  witness  to  truth  in  the  midst 
of  falsehood,  and  ever  causes  some  measure  of 
light  to  shine  in  the  midst  of  darkness.  He 
keeps  alive  in  the  consciousness  of  at  least  a 
remnant  the  fact  of  Himself  and  of  His  govern- 
ment. 

Forgive  me  if  I  try  to  impress  that  final  lesson 
upon  your  memory  in  the  simplest  way.  My 
story  constitutes  a  small  picture,  but  it  is  a  micro- 
cosm of  the  problem.  I  knew  a  case  of  a  woman 
bereaved  of  her  husband  in  the  midst  of  the  bat- 
tle of  life.  The  outlook  to  her  was  that  of  utter 
and  absolute  disaster.  Full  of  despair,  she  passed 
days  in  silence  and  in  weeping,  until  her  girlie 
about  seven  years  old  came  one  day  to  her  side, 
and  looking  into  the  tear-dimmed  eyes  said, 


190         THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  KINGS 

Mother,  is  God  dead  ?  Putting  her  arms  about 
the  child,  the  woman  said,  Darling,  you  are  His 
messenger  to  me.  "The  Lord  reigneth."  Do 
not  let  us  forget,  however  dark  the  outlook  may 
be,  God  is  not  dead.  "  The  Lord  reigneth." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  KINGS 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 

THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  The  Failure  of  Mao 

L  Its  Cause.    The  lost  Sense  of  Jehovah. 

a.  Illustrated  in  their  Kings. 

b.  Manifested  in  their  Idolatries  and  Alliances. 
<-.  Evident  in  their  Inability  to  detect  the  Hand 

of  Jehovah. 

ti.  Its  Manifestations.     The  lost  Ideal  of  Nationality. 

a.  Righteousness  undervalued. 

b.  Sin  lightly  esteemed. 
e.  Pride  of  Nationality. 

lii.  Its  Hopelessness.     The  lost  Sensitiveness  of  Con- 
science. 

a.  The    prophetic    Period.      "Who    hath    be- 
lieved .  .  .  ?  " 
t.  The  Reformation.     Superficial 

c.  The  religious  Order.     Neglected. 
IT.  Its  Issue.     The  lost  Vision. 

a.  Conquered. 

b.  Captive. 

c.  Castaway. 

II.  The  Victory  of  God 

i.  Its  Cause.  His  Purpose. 

ii.  Its  Method.  His  Persistence, 

iii.  Its  Hopefulness.    His  Principles, 
iv.  Its  Issues.  His  Power. 


I.  "  Where  there  is  no  Vision 
the  People  cast  off 
Restraint " 

[Prov.  xxix.  1 8. 

The  lost  Vision  of  God. 
Degraded  Ideals. 
Deadened       Con- 
science. 
Defeated  Purposes. 


II.  "  He  shall  not  fall  nor  be 
discouraged  " 

[Isa.  xlii.  4. 

The  enthroned  Jehovah 
Power. 
Knowledge. 
Activity. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  KINGS 

AS  we  have  already  said,  the  two  books  of 
Kings  appear  in  the  Hebrew  Bible  as 
one,  and  tell  a  continuous  story.  Our 
second  book,  therefore,  forms  a  sequel  to  the  first. 
In  the  first  we  have  the  history  of  about  a  cen- 
tury and  a  half,  and  in  the  second  of  about  three 
centuries. 

Once  again  the  two  thrones  are  in  view.  The 
first — steadfast,  immovable,  always  abounding 
in  activity  and  in  progress ;  the  second — trem- 
bling, failing,  and  at  last  abolished.  The  early 
part  of  the  history  of  this  period,  contained  in 
the  first  book  of  Kings,  emphasizes  the  facts  of 
the  failing  government  of  man,  and  the  unfailing 
government  of  God.  The  latter  part,  contained 
in  the  second  book,  emphasizes  the  results  issu- 
ing in  each  case.  The  permanent  values  of  the 
second  book,  then,  are  its  revelations  of  the  fail- 
ure of  man,  and  the  victory  of  God. 

I  confess  to  the  difficulty  of  an  embarrassment 
of  riches  in  approaching  this  study.  This  was 
the  period  of  the  prophets.  All  the  great  pro- 

193 


194         THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  KINGS 

phetic  messages  preserved  for  us  were  delivered 
during  this  period.  That  fact  creates  the  diffi- 
culty of  interpreting  the  message  of  this  book. 
Read  the  book  apart  from  the  prophecies,  and  it 
is  disappointing  indeed.  Read  the  book  as  the 
background  of  the  prophecies,  and  then  we  see 
in  the  background  man's  failure,  and  in  the  fore- 
ground God's  great  and  overwhelming  victory. 

Let  us  notice  what  this  book  teaches  concern- 
ing the  failure  of  man,  as  to  its  cause,  its  mani- 
festations, its  hopelessness,  and  its  issue. 

The  cause  of  human  failure  was  the  lost  sense 
of  Jehovah ;  its  manifestation  was  the  lost  ideal 
of  nationality ;  its  hopelessness  was  the  lost 
sensitiveness  of  conscience;  and  its  issue  was 
the  lost  vocation. 

The  fact  of  the  people's  lost  sense  of  Jehovah 
is  illustrated  in  their  kings.  There  were  excep- 
tions. Joash,  Amaziah,  Jotham,  Hoshea  served 
the  Lord ;  but  even  of  them  it  is  written,  "  not 
like  David,"  or  that  "  the  high  places  were  not 
taken  away."  These  did  not  utterly  fail,  yet 
failed  partially,  either  by  compromise,  or  some 
measure  of  backsliding.  Two  names  stand  out 
as  the  names  of  kings  who  followed  the  Lord — 
those  of  Hezekiah  and  Josiah ;  yet  even  they 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  KINGS         195 

failed  in  some  degree.  Apart  from  these,  the 
story  of  the  kings  is  that  of  men  who  had  no 
vision  of  God.  They  persisted  in  courses  of  evil. 
They  turned  their  back  upon  the  principles  of 
righteousness.  They  multiplied  transgression 
through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land. 
Men  occupied  the  throne  on  earth,  who  had  lost 
their  vision  of  the  Throne  in  the  heavens. 

This  lost  sense  of  Jehovah  was  manifested  also 
in  the  idolatries  and  alliances  of  the  people.  No 
man  who  has  a  clear  vision  of  God  turns  to  an 
idol.  An  idol  is  always  a  substitute  for  some- 
thing else,  an  attempt  to  fill  a  vacuum.  There 
is  a  sense  in  which  idolatry  is  a  perpetual  proof 
of  man's  capacity  for  God.  That  is  not  to  ex- 
cuse idolatry.  It  is  rather  to  show  the  heinous- 
ness  of  its  sin.  At  the  back  of  every  sin  there 
lies  a  possibility  of  good.  That  does  not  mean 
that  sin  is  something  to  be  pitied,  petted,  pam- 
pered. If  man  prostitutes  something  that  is 
good,  hell  is  the  proper  result.  Idolatry  is  a 
demonstration  of  the  capacity  for  God  ;  but  when 
a  man  turns  to  an  idol,  it  is  because  he  has  lost 
his  vision  of  God.  Hosea  spoke  of  Ephraim  as 
"  a  silly  dove,"  "  a  cake  not  turned,"  but  he  de- 
clared that  Ephraim  would  get  back  to  God,  and 


196         THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  KINGS 

then  would  say,  "  What  have  I  to  do  any  more 
with  idols?"  That  is  always  the  language  oi 
the  man  who  sees  God.  The  groves  and  the 
Baalim,  the  worshippers  of  Moloch  and  the  chil- 
dren passing  through  the  fire,  all  mean  that  the 
people  had  lost  their  vision  of  Jehovah. 

Once  again,  the  fact  that  the  cause  of  the  fail- 
ure was  a  lost  sense  of  Jehovah  is  evident  in  the 
inability  of  the  people  to  detect  the  hand  of  God 
as  it  fell  upon  them  in  punishment.  Isaiah  de- 
clared that  God  had  laid  His  hand  upon  them, 
until  they  were  a  mass  of  bruises  and  sores  from 
head  to  foot,  and  enquired,  "  Why  will  ye  be  still 
stricken  ?  " 

The  second  fact  grows  immediately  out  of  the 
first.  The  result  of  the  lost  vision  of  God  is  the 
lost  ideal  of  national  life ;  righteousness  is 
undervalued,  sin  is  lightly  esteemed,  and  a  false 
pride  of  nationality  exists.  Jonah,  the  son  of 
Amittai,  was  a  prophet  to  the  people  of  God. 
One  brief  verse  tells  of  the  fact  that  he  proph- 
esied. The  burden  of  the  prophecy  is  not 
given.  That  of  Jonah  which  lives  is  not  the 
prophecy  he  delivered,  but  the  story  he  wrote 
of  his  prophetic  vision  to  Nineveh.  It  was  not 
written  for  the  sake  of  Nineveh,  but  for  the  sake 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  KINGS         197 

of  Israel.  It  was  written  for  Israel  in  a 
time  when  she  was  characterized  by  two 
contradictory  attitudes.  The  first  was  that 
of  a  false  exclusiveness ;  she  did  not  be- 
lieve there  could  be  any  pity  or  mercy  in 
the  heart  of  God  for  any  other  than  herself. 
The  second  was  that  of  failure  to  be  exclusive  as 
God  meant  her  to  be  ;  she  was  forming  alliances 
with  other  nations,  contrary  to  the  Divine 
command  and  will.  The  story  of  Jonah  and 
Nineveh  is  the  condemnation  of  exclusiveness. 
These  people  had  lost  the  true  ideal  of  nation- 
ality ;  the  ideal  given  by  God  to  Abraham  in 
His  first  covenant ;  the  ideal  repeated  when  the 
nation  emerged  into  national  life ;  the  ideal  con- 
stantly kept  before  the  mind  by  all  the  religious 
economy  and  prophetic  utterances ;  the  ideal 
which  was  expressed  in  the  words,  "  I  will  bless 
thee  and  make  thy  name  great ;  and  be  thou  a 
blessing."  When  these  people  lost  their  clear 
vision  of  God,  they  lost  their  understanding  of 
the  meaning  of  their  own  national  life. 

Then  look  at  the  hopelessness  of  the  situation. 
Remember  that  this  was  the  great  prophetic 
period.  In  order  that  we  may  see  this  I  have 
prepared  a  simple  chart. 


JEHOVAH. 

THE  KINGS. 

Samuel.                       (Saul) 

Nathan. 

David. 

Ahijah. 

Solomon. 

A  man  of  God.           Rehoboam.           Jeroboam. 

Shemaiah. 

Abijam. 

Nadab. 

Jehu.                           Asa. 

Baasha. 

Elah. 

Zimri. 

Omri. 

Elijah.                        Jehoshaphat.         Ahab  and  ) 

A  son  of  prophets. 

Jezebel.     / 

Micaiah. 

Ahaziah. 

Joel             \ 

Elisha.                        Jehoram.               Jehoram. 
A  son  of  prophets.     Ahaziah.               Jehu. 
Athaliah. 
Joash. 
Jehoahaz. 

Amaziah.              Jehoash. 

Jonah. 

Jonah. 

Jeroboam  II, 

Amos. 

(Interregnum.) 

Ho'ca 

~ 

Uzziah. 

Obadiah  (?)— 

~~~ 

__ 

•• 

(Interregnum.) 

Zechariah. 

Shallum. 

Menahem. 

Isaiah. 

Mieah 

Jotham. 

Pekahiah. 
D_j._k 

— 

Ahaz.                     (Interregnum.) 
llsaiah.                        Hezekiah.             Hoshea. 

i 

Manasseh. 

Nahum  (?) 

Captiv  ty. 

i 

i 

Amon. 

Zephaniah. 

Huldah.                       Josiah. 

Jeremiah  ;  — 

Habakkuk. 

'ehoahaz. 

• 

'ehoiakim. 

(Daniel 

i 

ehoiachin. 

Erekiel) 

i 

iedekiah. 

J 

Captivity. 

198 

THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  KINGS         199 

The  two  thrones  are  suggested  and  the  two 
processes  are  seen.  On  the  one  side  a  line 
of  prophets,  on  the  other  a  succession  of  kings. 
On  that  of  the  kings — Saul,  David,  Solomon,  the 
division  under  Rehoboam  and  Jeroboam,  and 
then  through  Kings  of  Israel  and  Judah  to  the 
captivity  in  each  case.  That  is  the  throne  on 
the  earth. 

Now  turn  to  the  other  side,  and  see  the 
Throne  in  the  heavens.  God  dealt  with  His 
people  through  the  prophets.  In  the  inner 
column  are  the  names  of  the  prophets  men- 
tioned in  the  books  of  Kings.  They  are  Samuel, 
Nathan,  Ahijah,  a  man  of  God,  Shemaiah,  Jehu, 
Elijah,  a  son  of  prophets,  Micaiah,  Elisha,  a  son 
of  prophets,  Jonah,  Isaiah,  and  the  prophetess 
Huldah. 

The  outer  column  begins  with  the  second  book 
of  the  Kings,  and  contains  the  names  of  men 
who  were  speaking  during  the  period,  but  who 
are  not  named  in  the  text :  Joel,  Jonah,  Amos, 
Hosea,  Isaiah,  Obadiah,  Nahum,  Zephaniah, 
Jeremiah,  Habakkuk ;  and  in  exile,  Daniel  and 
Ezekiel.  The  immediate  result  of  the  ministry 
of  these  men  was  almost  nothing.  Isaiah,  in 
that  part  of  his  prophecy  in  which  he  described 


200         THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  KINGS 

the  result  of  his  own  preaching,  enquired — and 
it  is  the  story  of  all  the  prophetic  ministry — 
"  Who  hath  believed  our  report  ?  and  to  whom 
hath  the  arm  of  the  Lord  been  revealed?" 
Mark  the  hopelessness  of  the  case,  the  lost  sensi- 
tiveness of  conscience  that  could  listen  to  such 
messages  as  these,  and  yet  continue  in  the  sin 
of  rebellion  and  in  forgetfulness  of  God. 

Think  of  another  fact.  The  reformations  were 
all  superficial.  Immediately  Hezekiah  had 
passed  away,  the  people  returned  to  their  old 
ways  of  evil.  Josiah  conducted  a  remarkable  ref- 
ormation, and  yet  it  is  a  significant  fact  that 
Zephaniah  never  referred  to  it.  The  reason  is  to 
be  found  in  the  story  of  Huldah  the  prophetess. 
When  the  reformation  was  proceeding,  and  the 
book  of  the  law  was  discovered,  they  sent  to 
Huldah,  and  she,  inspired  of  God  to  deliver  her 
message,  said  in  effect  that  there  was  no  real 
value  in  the  reformation ;  that  the  king  meant 
well,  and  would  be  rewarded,  but  that  the  peo- 
ple were  not  following  God.  The  condition  of 
the  religious  life  of  the  period  is  seen  more 
clearly  in  Chronicles,  the  two  books  that  deal 
with  the  life  of  the  people  from  the  Temple 
standpoint.  When  Hezekiah  began  his  reforma- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  KINGS         201 

tion  he  commenced  with  the  Temple,  and  before 
anything  else  could  be  done  it  took  the  whole 
company  of  priests  and  Levites  sixteen  days  to 
carry  rubbish  therefrom,  which  simply  means 
that  the  Temple  had  become  a  lumber  store.  In 
the  days  when  Josiah  carried  out  his  reforma- 
tion, the  book  of  the  law  was  found.  Mark  the 
significance  of  this  fact,  that  it  had  to  be  found ! 
Moreover,  its  teaching  so  astonished  Josiah  that 
he  halted  in  the  middle  of  his  work  to  enquire 
from  the  prophetess  Huldah.  The  people  had  so 
forgotten  the  law  of  their  God  that,  when  it 
was  found,  they  were  absolutely  unfamiliar  with 
it. 

Finally  the  issue  of  the  failure  was  that  of  the 
loss  by  the  nation  of  its  vocation.  I  cannot  tell 
the  story  in  detail,  but  three  words  sum  it  up — 
conquered,  captive,  castaway  !  Is  there  a  sadder 
story  in  all  the  history  of  the  world  than  that  ? 

But  look  at  the  other  side,  that  of  the  victory 
of  God.  The  secret  of  that  victory  is  discovered 
by  going  back  to  the  beginnings.  When  God 
promised  Abraham  that  He  would  bless  him  and 
make  him  a  blessing,  and  that  through  his  seed 
the  whole  world  should  be  blessed,  "He  sware 
by  Himself."  We  have  a  light  upon  that  ancient 


202         THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  KINGS 

declaration  in  the  letter  to  the  Hebrews,  when 
the  writer  declared  "  He  could  sware  by  none 
greater,  He  sware  by  Himself  .  .  .  that  by 
two  immutable  things,  in  which  it  is  impossible 
for  God  to  lie,  we  may  have  a  strong  encourage- 
ment," God  entered  into  a  covenant  with  Abra- 
ham. He  will  fulfill  His  covenant.  He  will  be 
true  to  Himself.  He  will  allow  nothing  ulti- 
mately to  thwart  the  purpose  of  His  love.  He 
remembered  His  covenant  throughout  the  whole 
of  the  process. 

Then  notice  the  method  of  God.  "  The  Lord 
testified  ...  by  the  hand  of  every  prophet, 
and  of  every  seer."  In  that  method  there  was  in- 
cluded His  judgments,  the  awful  visitations 
which  these  people  never  seem  to  have  under- 
stood ;  and  His  tender  mercy,  directly  the  people 
turned  to  Him,  He  turned  to  them,  and  was 
ready  to  receive  them. 

The  principle  of  the  Divine  activity  was  its 
perpetual  hopefulness.  In  the  prophecy  of 
Hosea  this  is  clearly  revealed.  In  the  wonderful 
love  song  of  Jehovah  we  touch  the  hidden  spring 
of  everything,  "  How  shall  I  give  thee  up, 
Ephraim  ? "  That  is  the  inspiration  of  God's 
victory.  It  is  that  determination  of  love,  and 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  KINGS         203 

that  hopefulness  of  God,  which  issue  in  His 
victory. 

Finally  observe  the  issues.  The  national  ideal 
was  preserved  in  captivity,  and  is  preserved  until 
this  hour.  There  is  no  study  more  fascinating 
than  that  of  the  Hebrew  people.  Scattered  over 
the  face  of  the  earth,  and  neutralized  among 
strange  people,  their  nationality  cannot  be 
destroyed.  God  preserves  them  wherever  they 
go.  They  are  still  His,  and  His  mark  is  upon 
them.  Even  in  captivity  the  national  ideal  was 
preserved.  He  preserved  the  seed  for  the  fulfill- 
ment of  His  purpose,  until  at  last  the  promise  to 
Abraham  was  fulfilled. 

The  prophetic  utterances  constitute  a  literature 
for  the  ages.  There  are  senses  in  which  the 
Hebrew  prophets  have  a  more  living  message  to 
this  age  than  the  Christian  apostles  have.  The 
apostolic  writings  are  for  the  Church.  The 
prophets  speak  still  to  the  nations — Joel,  with  his 
far-flung  vision  of  the  Day  of  the  Lord  ;  Jonah, 
with  his  condemnation  of  exclusiveness  ;  Amos, 
the  herdman  of  Tekoah,  who  thundered  concern- 
ing national  accountability;  Hosea,  who  inter- 
preted the  sin  of  the  God-forgetting  people  as 
spiritual  adultery ;  Obadiah,  with  his  curse  on 


204         THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  KINGS 

cowardice  ;  Isaiah,  the  prophet  of  the  Theocracy ; 
Micah,  dealing  with  authority,  false  and  true  ; 
Nahum,  with  his  vindication  of  Jehovah's  venge- 
ance ;  Zephaniah,  with  the  message  of  the  severity 
and  goodness  of  God  ;  Jeremiah,  the  prophet  of 
failure ;  Habakkuk,  with  his  problems  of  faith. 
These  constitute  a  literature  for  all  time,  and  it 
was  made  in  the  age  when  these  people  so 
signally  failed. 

Let  me  state  briefly  what  seem  to  me  to  be 
the  living  messages  of  this  book.  I  do  so  by 
two  quotations  that  come  right  out  of  the  period. 
This  is  the  first,  "  Where  there  is  no  vision  the 
people  cast  off  restraint"  The  second  is,  "  He 
shall  not  fail  nor  be  discouraged."  Let  us  see 
the  setting  of  these  two  quotations.  The  first 
one  is  found  in  the  Proverbs  of  Solomon,  not  in 
the  collection  of  proverbs  which  he  collected 
himself,  but  in  the  second  collection  which  the 
men  of  Hezekiah,  King  of  Judah,  copied  out 
Mark  the  suggestiveness  of  this.  Solomon,  the 
man  by  whom  all  the  seeds  of  disruption  were 
sown,  wrote  down  as  a  proverb,  "  Where  there 
is  no  vision  the  people  cast  off  restraint"  Go 
to  the  beginning  of  the  period  in  the  first  book 
•f  Samuel,  "  The  word  of  the  Lord  was  precioua 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  KINGS         205 

in  those  days" — that  is,  it  was  rare  in  those 
days ;  "  there  was  no  open  vision"  That  is  how 
the  period  began.  There  was  no  vision  of  God. 
Come  to  the  end,  the  last  period,  the  Lamenta- 
tions of  Jeremiah :  "  Her  prophets  find  no  vision 
from  Jehovah."  That  is  the  story  of  it  all. 

What,  then,  is  the  message  of  the  book  ?  If 
the  vision  of  God  be  lost,  the  issue  must  be  de- 
graded ideals,  deadened  consciences,  defeated 
purposes.  That  is  the  national  teaching  of  the 
book.  "  Where  there  is  no  vision  the  people 
cast  off  restraint,"  abandon  observance  of  the 
Sabbath,  abandon  themselves  to  their  own  appe- 
tites, until  a  nation  like  our  own  becomes 
drugged  with  drink,  while  it  does  not  know  that 
it  is  drunk. 

Thank  God  the  book  has  another  message. 
Isaiah,  the  greatest  prophet  of  the  period,  de- 
clared of  Jehovah,  "  He  shall  not  fail  nor  be  dis- 
couraged." The  man  who  said  this  was  the 
man  whose  writing  commences,  "  The  vision  of 
Isaiah,  the  son  of  Amos."  This  man  could  make 
this  declaration  in  the  midst  of  all  the  decadence 
of  his  age,  because,  to  use  his  own  words,  "  In 
the  year  that  King  Uzziah  died  I  saw  the  Lord 
sitting  upon  a  throne."  That  vision  ultimately 


206         THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  KINGS 

enabled  him  to  say :  "  Why  sayest  them,  O 
Jacob,  and  speakest,  O  Israel,  My  way  is  hid 
from  the  Lord,  and  my  judgment  is  passed  away 
from  my  God?  Hast  thou  not  known?  hast 
thou  not  heard  ?  the  everlasting  God,  the  Lord, 
the  Creator  of  the  ends  of  the  earth  fainteth  not, 
neither  is  weary."  That  is  power.  "There  is 
no  searching  of  His  understanding."  That  is 
knowledge.  "  He  giveth  power  to  the  faint ; 
and  to  him  that  hath  no  might  He  increaseth 
strength.  Even  the  youths," — who  seem  as 
though  one  never  can  tire  them, —  "shall  faint 
and  be  weary,  and  the  young  men  shall  utterly 
fall :  but  they  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  re- 
new their  strength  ;  they  shall  mount  up  with 
wings  as  eagles ;  they  shall  run,  and  not  be 
weary;  they  shall  walk,  and  not  faint."  Noth- 
ing finer  than  that  was  ever  written,  and  it  was 
written  in  that  awful  period  of  human  failure  by 
the  man  who  saw  the  throne  and  Jehovah.  That 
is  the  living  message  of  the  hour.  "  The  Lord 
.  .  fainteth  not,  neither  is  weary."  "  He 
shall  not  fail  nor  be  discouraged."  If  we  are  to 
serve  our  age,  we  must  see  God  ;  and  seeing 
Him,  we  shall  ever  be  inspired  by  the  certainty 
of  the  ultimate  victory. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  CHRONICLES 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUE 


B 

THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


The  Condemnation  of  Rationalism 

The  Revelation  of  the  supreme  importance  of  the 

Recognition  of  God  in  the  national  Life  of  the 

chosen  People. 

I.  The  Demonstration  of  the  Genealogies 

i.  The  Elections  of  God. 
ii.  Their  Principles. 

a.  Of  Exclusion. 

b.  Of  Inclusion. 
JU.  Their  Purpose. 

a.  The  Ultimate  in  view. 

6.  AM  Details  towards  the  Ultimate. 

IL  The  Illustration  of  David 

i.  David  presented  in  his  Strength. 

a.  The  national  Crowning. 

b.  The  Capture  of  Jebus. 
e.  The  mighty  Men. 

d.  The  Gathering  of  the  People, 
ii  David's  deepest  Life. 

a.  His  master  Passion.  /  %**  fof  th«  .**• 
\  Desire  to  build. 


l>.  His  Submission. 


e.  His  Service. 


/  The  Method  of  God. 
\  The  Answer  of  David. 

{The  Gathering  of  Treas- 
ure. 
The  Arrangements. 


The  importance  of  the  Rec- 
ognition of  God  in  the  Life 
of  a  Nation 


I.  Because  of  the  Pact  of 
the  Divine  Activity 

i.  That  is  a  Reason. 
ii.  That  is  a  Hope. 


II.  Because  of  the  Effect 
upon  the  National 
Life 

i.  Moral  Standards. 
ii.  Character  of  Individuals. 

iii.  Conception  of  Social  Re- 
lationships. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  CHRONICLES 

IN  order  that  we  may  understand  this  book, 
and  discover  its  permanent  value  and  living 
message,  it  is  important  that  we  should 
know  when  it  was  written,  for  in  the  discovery 
of  the  when,  we  shall  in  all  probability  find  the 
answer  to  the  why.  There  is  internal  evidence 
that  it  was  written  in  close  association  with  the 
time  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  In  the  section  at 
the  commencement  which  deals  with  the  gene- 
alogies, names  occur  which  clearly  indicate  this. 
In  the  sixth  chapter  it  is  written :  "  Azariah 
begat  Seraiah,  and  Seraiah  begat  Jehozadak ; 
and  Jehozadak  went  into  captivity,  when  the 
Lord  carried  away  Judah  and  Jerusalem  by  the 
hand  of  Nebuchadnezzar."  This  was  evidently 
written  by  one  looking  back  upon  the  captivity. 
If  that  is  borne  in  mind,  we  shall  begin  to  see 
the  reason  of  the  peculiarities  of  both  this  book 
and  the  one  which  follows  it  There  is  the 
closest  connection  between  the  story  contained 
in  Chronicles  and  that  told  in  the  books  of  Ezra 

and  Nehemiah ;  a  much  closer  connection  than 

209 


210    THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  CHRONICLES 

that  between  Kings  and  Ezra  and  Nehemiah. 
II.  Chronicles  ends  with  a  proclamation  of  Cyrus, 
King  of  Persia,  which  made  possible  the  rebuild- 
ing of  the  house  of  God  in  Jerusalem.  That 
proclamation  is  the  commencement  of  the  book 
of  Ezra.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  story 
in  Chronicles  was  written  at  the  return  from  cap- 
tivity, in  order  to  encourage  the  people  to  build 
the  house  of  God,  for  its  central  subject  is  the 
temple  of  God.  Thus  we  find  the  key  to  these 
two  books  of  Chronicles.  Notice  the  peculiari- 
ties without  entering  into  details.  In  the  books 
of  Chronicles,  Israel,  the  Northern  Kingdom,  is 
out  of  sight  There  are  references  to  it,  but 
only  when  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  show  re- 
lationship to  Judah.  Judah  is  in  view,  only  to 
fix  attention  upon  David.  David  is  the  central 
personality.  Judah  the  nation ;  David  the  per- 
sonality. Yet  the  purpose  of  the  writer  was  not 
that  of  dealing  with  Judah  or  with  David,  but  of 
dealing  with  the  temple  of  God.  David  is  re- 
ferred to  in  order  that  there  may  be  brought  into 
clear  vision  the  master  passion  of  his  life,  the 
building  of  the  temple. 

It  has  sometimes  been  said  that  the  books  of 
Kings  are  of  prophetic  origin,  because  of  theii 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  CHRONICLES    211 

prophetic  outlook  ;  and  that  the  books  of  Chron- 
icles are  of  priestly  origin,  because  of  their 
priestly  outlook.  That  is  quite  true,  but  it  is 
only  a  secondary  truth.  The  deeper  truth  is 
that  in  Kings  we  have  history  simply,  while  in 
Chronicles  we  see  the  relation  of  the  nation  to 
religious  life ;  the  writer's  one  object  being  to 
bring  into  prominence  all  the  facts  concerning 
the  temple,  in  order  to  show  how  absolutely 
important  was  that  temple  to  the  life  of  the 
people.  The  sub-titles,  which  I  suggested  in 
our  previous  study  of  the  contents  of  the  books, 
suggest  this ;  the  Temple  desired  and  ap- 
proached ;  and  the  Temple  possessed  and  aban- 
doned. 

The  first  book  has  one  preeminent  value. 
It  reveals  the  supreme  importance  of  the  recog- 
nition of  God  in  the  national  life  of  the  chosen 
people.  Other  books  have  taught  the  fact  of 
the  relation  of  God  and  the  nation,  but  this 
book  reveals  the  importance  of  the  recognition 
of  that  fact  by  the  people. 

We  shall  notice  first  how  the  genealogies 
demonstrate  the  importance  of  recognizing  God  ; 
and  secondly,  how  the  story  of  David  illustrates 
the  same  truth. 


212    THE  MESSAGE  OF  1.  CHRONICLES 

If  we  take  the  first  ten  chapters,  and  consider 
them  carefully,  we  see  that  their  value  does  not 
consist  in  the  stringing  together  of  names. 
Through  all  there  is  evidence  of  a  Divine  move 
ment,  persistent  and  startling,  which  compels 
us  to  pause  and  enquire.  They  begin  with 
Adam  and  end  with  Nehemiah ;  and  there  is 
constant  selection,  election,  choice ;  the  turning 
aside  of  the  current ;  the  starting  of  a  new 
movement  Beginning  with  Adam,  we  remem- 
ber the  names  of  his  sons,  Cain,  Abel,  Seth. 
Of  these,  neither  Cain  nor  Abel  is  mentioned. 
There  is  selection,  and  the  name  chosen  is  that 
of  Seth.  From  him  the  Divine  procedure  moves 
through  Enoch  to  Noah  ;  then  on  through  Shem 
to  Abram  and  Isaac ;  then  through  Judah  to 
Jesse  and  David ;  then  Solomon  and  Rehoboam, 
to  captivity.  Among  the  tribes  of  Levi  there 
is  distinct  selection  to  purpose.  Three  sons  oi 
Levi,  Kohath,  Gershon,  Merari,  are  chosen. 

From  Adam  to  Zedekiah  the  writer  reveals 
the  fact  that  God  made  successive  selections, 
ever  starting  the  stream  on  a  new  course  by 
choosing  individuals.  The  principle  of  inclusion 
was  always  that  of  character,  based  upon  obe- 
dience ;  and  wherever  there  was  such  character 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  CHRONICLES    213 

based  upon  obedience,  all  disability  was  can- 
celled. The  principle  of  exclusion  was  that  all 
rights  and  privileges  are  cancelled  by  disobe- 
dience. Privileges  of  descent,  of  relationship, 
never  count  in  the  economy  of  God.  The  one 
thing  that  counts  is  obedience,  and  the  character 
that  grows  out  of  it.  The  purpose  of  selection, 
as  revealed  in  these  genealogies,  is  that  from 
the  beginning  the  ultimate  is  in  view.  It  is 
perfectly  evident  as  one  studies  at  all  carefully 
these  new  beginnings  and  new  developments, 
that  the  apparently  crooked  way  is  yet  the 
straight  way  to  the  goal.  The  straight  way 
would  have  followed  the  inheritance  through 
the  first-born,  and  that  would  often  have  been 
the  straight  way  to  failure  and  defeat.  When- 
ever God  made  a  new  selection,  setting  aside 
rights  and  privileges  in  which  men  made  their 
boast,  choosing  men  who  were  not  in  the  line 
of  ordinary  human  expectation,  He  did  so  be- 
cause His  mind  was  set  upon  the  ultimate  goal. 
All  the  details  of  Divine  selection  led  to  the  ulti- 
mate goal. 

All  this  demonstrates  the  necessity  for  the 
recognition  of  God  in  the  national  life.  To 
gather  up  the  history  suggested  in  the  gene- 


214    THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  CHRONICLES 

alogies  is  to  see  confusion,  disaster,  failure.  It 
is  a  picture  that  fills  the  heart  with  heaviness, 
and  the  spirit  with  sorrow.  To  look  higher, 
and  see  how  through  all,  God  is  moving ;  select- 
ing, changing,  making  perpetual  progress 
towards  His  goal,  is  to  see  that  the  ultimate 
fact  in  all  the  centuries  is  the  fact  of  God  ;  and 
these  genealogies  show  that  the  way  of  per- 
manence for  human  life,  and  the  way  of  stability 
for  national  life,  is  the  way  of  recognition  of 
Him.  God  moved  onward  in  spite  of  human 
failure.  Men  were  ruined  or  made,  in  propor- 
tion as  they  recognized  Him.  Thus,  before  the 
story  of  the  king  in  whose  heart  was  a  passion 
for  the  temple  is  told,  there  is  this  strange  and 
almost  weird  section  of  ten  chapters,  filled  with 
names.  Through  all  the  generations  of  men, 
through  century  after  century,  God  is  seen  select' 
ing,  changing,  interfering,  moving  quietly  on- 
ward towards  the  ultimate  goal. 

Turn  from  this  demonstration  of  the  fact  of  the 
Divine  interference  and  government  to  the  illus- 
tration afforded  by  the  story  of  David.  The 
king  is  presented  in  all  his  strength.  There  are 
four  pictures  of  him.  The  first  is  that  of  the  na- 
tional crowning.  All  the  story  of  the  prepara- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  CHRONICLES    215 

tion  has  been  told — the  shepherd  life,  the  period 
at  the  court  of  Saul,  the  long,  weary  exile  as  out- 
law hiding  in  Adullam,  the  seven  preparatory 
years  reigning  over  the  Southern  Kingdom  of 
Judah.  Now  at  Hebron  all  Israel  crowns  him. 

The  next  picture  is  that  of  the  capture  of 
Jebus.  David  takes  a  stronghold  which  was 
thought  to  be  impregnable,  and  makes  it  for- 
evermore  the  earthly  centre  of  Hebrew  national 
life  and  aspiration. 

The  third  picture  is  that  of  the  mighty  men, 
in  which  is  revealed  David's  influence  on  per- 
sonal character.  He  had  gathered  to  Adullam 
men  in  debt,  in  danger,  discontented ;  and  when 
we  read  the  story  of  the  mighty  men  in  Chron- 
icles, we  see  the  mightier  man,  David,  who  made 
them  what  they  were. 

The  last  picture  is  that  of  the  multitudes  as 
they  march  to  the  standard  of  the  new  king 
They  were  men  who  "  could  use  both  the  right 
hand  and  the  left,"  which  speaks  of  the  careful 
training  they  had  received.  They  were  "mighty 
men  of  valour,  men  trained  for  war,"  which  sug- 
gests disciplined  strength.  They  were  men  who 
"  could  handle  shield  and  spear,"  which  means 
they  were  experts  in  offensive  and  defensive 


216    THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  CHRONICLES 

warfare.  This  is  the  picture  of  people  influenced 
by  a  great  and  mighty  king.  The  book  is  not 
so  much  dealing  with  the  greatness  of  the  peo- 
ple in  itself,  as  revealing  it  in  order  that  the 
greatness  of  David  may  be  seen. 

All  this  has  been  told  in  order  to  lead  to  some- 
thing else.  Beginning  with  the  story  of  the  ark, 
there  is  revealed  David's  attitude  towards  the 
temple.  There  we  touch  the  deepest  thing  in 
his  life.  He  was  a  king,  a  warrior,  a  poet ;  but 
none  of  these  tells  the  story  of  the  deepest  thing 
in  his  heart,  or  reveals  its  master  passion.  No- 
tice his  care  for  the  ark  of  God.  Notice  his  de- 
sire to  build  the  temple  of  God.  These  are  not 
the  master  passions  of  his  life,  but  they  are  ex- 
pressions thereof.  The  master  passion  of  this 
king,  warrior,  shepherd  is  that  of  a  profound 
recognition  of  the  relation  of  the  nation  to  God, 
and  of  the  necessity  that  it  should  never  forget 
God.  That  is  why  he  cared  for  the  ark.  That 
is  why  he  desired  to  build  the  temple. 

The  strength  of  that  master  passion  is  revealed 
in  his  submission  to  God.  When  he  said  it  was 
in  his  heart  to  build  a  house  for  God,  Nathan 
the  prophet  said,  "  Do  all  that  is  in  thine  heart." 
But  neither  King  David,  nor  Prophet  Nathan, 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  CHRONICLES    217 

great  as  was  their  desire  for  the  temple,  under- 
stood the  full  meaning  thereof.  God  forbade  his 
building,  but  revealed  anew  to  him  how  he  had 
been  led  by  God. 

Immediately  David  began  to  do  something 
for  God,  and  the  very  thing  he  wanted  to  do, 
even  though  he  did  not  build  the  temple.  The 
actual  last  work  was,  in  the  wisdom  of  God, 
committed  to  Solomon,  but  from  that  moment 
David  was  at  the  work  he  longed  to  do.  His  will- 
ingness not  to  begin  the  building  was  a  revela- 
tion of  his  recognition  of  the  importance  of  his 
work,  and  of  his  absolute  abandonment  to  the 
will  of  God.  Yet  he  worked  in  gathering  treas- 
ure, in  making  arrangements,  in  choosing  the 
site,  in  appointing  the  Levites,  in  setting  in  order 
the  service  of  song,  in  appointing  the  porters, 
and  the  keepers  of  the  treasure. 

Ezra,  or  whomsoever  the  author  of  this  book 
may  have  been,  wanted  to  show  the  importance 
of  that  of  which  the  temple  was  but  the  outward 
symbol — the  nation's  recognition  of  God.  David 
became  for  the  moment  in  his  eyes  the  embodi- 
ment of  the  national  idea,  the  national  purpose. 
The  master  passion  of  David  was  that  of  recog- 
nizing God,  and  expressing  the  recognitioa 


218    THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  CHRONICLES 

Paul  summarized  the  whole  story  of  David's  life 
in  the  sentence  so  often  quoted,  "  He  .  .  . 
in  his  own  generation  served  the  counsel  of 
God."  He  was  shepherd,  warrior,  poet ;  but  in 
all  these  things  he  answered  the  master  passion. 
As  king  he  reigned  always  under  the  conviction 
of  the  throne  of  God,  and  the  supremacy  of  Je- 
hovah. He  was  a  warrior,  carrying  out  the  Di- 
vine purpose.  He  was  a  poet,  and  "  The  Lord 
reigneth"  is  the  very  key-note  of  his  poetry. 
Because  he  knew  the  national  importance  of  this 
recognition,  he  cared  for  the  ark,  and  desired 
the  temple. 

The  living  message  of  this  book  is  quite 
patent  if  we  have  discovered  its  permanent  value. 
With  no  uncertain  sound  it  speaks  to  us  to-day 
of  the  absolute  importance  of  the  recognition  of 
God  in  the  life  of  the  nation.  If  you  are  inclined 
to  say  that  this  book  is  applicable  to  the  Hebrew 
nation,  and  to  no  other,  I  pray  you  think  again 
of  the  wonderful  prophecy  of  Amos.  The  mis- 
take Israel  made  was  that  of  thinking  that  God 
governed  the  Hebrew  nation,  and  had  no  care 
for  others.  The  message  of  Amos  was  that  of 
national  accountability ;  and  ere  he  delivered  his 
message  to  Judah  and  Israel,  he  swept  the  ever- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  CHRONICLES    219 

decreasing  circles  around  them,  beginning  with 
all  the  distant  nations,  and  showing  how  God 
governed  them  also.  If  that  be  true  of  the 
nations  long  ago,  it  is  equally  true  to-day. 

It  is  important  that  the  nation  should  recognize 
God,  because  of  the  fact  of  the  Divine  activity. 
Begin  wherever  you  will,  and  look  at  the  cen- 
turies, and  you  discover  the  same  principle  at 
work  in  all  human  history,  God  choosing,  select- 
ing, lifting  up,  casting  down.  The  great  word  of 
the  prophet  of  old  is  the  word  of  to-day.  Speak- 
ing to  Cyrus,  the  man  outside  the  covenant,  He 
said,  "I  will  gird  thee,  though  thou  hast  not 
known  Me."  That  is  the  story  of  all  human 
history.  God  is  lifting  up  and  casting  down. 
Another  word  of  one  of  the  old  Hebrew  prophets 
declared,  "  I  will  overturn,  overturn,  overturn 
.  .  .  until  He  come  whose  right  it  is."  God 
has  not  given  up  overturning.  The  Divine 
hand  is  at  work  now  as  surely  as  in  the  first  ten 
chapters  of  Chronicles,  selecting  a  new  man  and 
making  a  new  start ;  and  if  he  fails,  selecting  an- 
other, and  again  moving  forward.  If  the  first- 
born son  in  the  proper  succession  is  not  ready 
for  the  work,  he  is  flung  aside ;  and  if  the  man 
of  privilege  does  not  answer  his  opportunity,  he 


220    THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  CHRONICLES 

is  cast  away  upon  the  scrap-heap,  and  God  finds 
an  obscure  man,  and  marches  on  towards  the 
ultimate.  That  is  a  gospel  to  my  heart.  That 
is  comfort  to  my  soul.  That  is  the  thing  that 
cures  the  heart  of  its  panic.  God  is  still  choos- 
ing, selecting,  guiding,  controlling.  That  is  why 
the  nation  should  recognize  Him.  Oh,  the  mad- 
ness of  trying  to  arrange  without  Him,  of  shut- 
ting Him  out  of  view. 

It  is  important  that  the  nation  should  rec- 
ognize God,  not  merely  because  of  the  fact  of 
His  government,  but  because  of  the  effect  of  the 
recognition  of  God  upon  national  life.  Take 
God  out  of  the  national  life,  and  the  national 
thinking,  and  what  will  happen  ?  You  will  have 
no  moral  standard  at  all.  Talking  quite  re- 
cently to  one  of  the  responsible  Ministers  of  the 
Crown  on  the  subject  of  the  teaching  in  the 
Day  Schools  of  this  country,  speaking  not  from 
the  standard  of  a  Christian  man,  but  from  the 
standpoint  of  a  statesman,  he  said  :  "  If  there  is 
no  Bible,  where  is  your  text-book  of  morals? 
There  is  the  supreme  difficulty.  We  must  teach 
morals,  and  there  is  no  text-book  or  standard  in 
the  world  if  we  take  the  Bible  away." 

When  the  nation  has  lost  its  moral  standard, 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  I.  CHRONICLES    221 

it  has  lost  the  strength  of  individual  character ;  it 
has  lost  its  conception  of  social  relationships.  It 
is  useless  to  talk  of  a  new  social  order  unless  at 
its  very  basis  is  the  conviction  and  the  conscious- 
ness of  the  throne  of  God  and  the  government 
of  God.  That  is  the  supreme  message  of  this 
book. 

The  thing  of  importance  in  any  nation  is  the 
building  of  the  temple,  the  creation  of  the  op- 
portunity for  the  people  to  deal  with  God.  The 
political  propaganda  which  begins  by  attacking 
or  neglecting  God,  and  a  national  recognition  of 
Him,  is  absolutely  pernicious.  The  man  who 
worships  is  the  true  patriot,  whether  he  be  a 
king,  a  statesman,  or  a  commoner.  The  man 
who  loves  his  nation  and  serves  it,  is  the  man 
who  serves  God. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  CHRONICLES 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUE 


B 

THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


The  Condemnation  of  Rationalism 

The  Revelation  of  the  absolute  Importance  of  the 
Recognition  of  God  which  was  merely  formal  in 
the  Life  of  the  chosen  People. 

I.  The  Demonstration  by  Contrast.    Solomon 

i.  Solomon's  Inheritance. 

a.  The  Conditions. 

b.  The  supreme  Inheritance, 
ii.  Solomon's  Greatness. 

a.  In  Relation  to  God. 

b.  In  Relation  to  the  People. 
Hi.  Solomon's  Service. 

a,  The  Temple  built. 

b.  Administration  from  that  Centre. 
iv.  Solomon's  Failure. 

a.  Its  Cause. 

b.  Its  Course. 

II.  The  Illustration  in  History 

The  Kings  of  Judah.     Rehoboam  to  Zedekiah. 
i.  The  Rending  of  the  Kingdom. 

a.  Jeroboam.     Substitution  of  false  Form. 

b.  Rehoboam.     Retention  of  the  true  Form, 
ii.  The  Degeneracies. 

a.  Observance  of  the  Form,  and  Neglect  of  the 

Facts. 

b.  Growing  Neglect  of  the  Forms. 
iii.  The  Reformations. 

a.  Always  beginning  at  the  House  of  God. 

b.  The  appalling  Revelations  of  each  Beginning, 
iv.  The  ultimate  Disaster. 

•*.  The  House  burned  with  Fire. 
^.  The  People  carried  away. 


Tbe  Importance  of  formal 
Religion  in  the  Life  of  • 
Nation 


I.  The    Discovery    of    the 

Point  of  Application 
Cf.    2   Chron.  v.    13-14 
and  Acts  ii.  1-4. 

II.  The    Manifestations   of 
Formalism 

III.  The   Disaster  of   Form- 
alism 

Therefore,  "  Strengthen 
the  things  that  re- 
main." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  CHRONICLES 

THE  general  atmosphere  of  the  second 
book  of  Chronicles  is  the  same  as  that 
of  the  first.  The  temple  of  Solomon  had 
long  been  in  ruins.  At  the  time  of  writing,  the 
temple  of  Zerubbabel  was  about  to  be  erected. 
The  books  give  one  continuous  story ;  yet  in  the 
two  we  have  two  phases  of  one  great  truth.  In 
the  first  we  have  the  revelation  of  the  impor- 
tance of  the  temple  to  the  national  life.  In  the 
second  we  have  the  revelation  of  how  absolutely 
useless  the  temple  was.  That  is  a  paradox,  a 
contradiction ;  and  to  recognize  it  is  to  be  able  to 
understand  the  permanent  value  of  this  book. 

The  first  book  of  Chronicles  is  the  condemna- 
tion of  rationalism  in  national  life.  The  second 
book  is  the  condemnation  of  ritualism  in  national 
life.  In  the  first  book  I  see  the  necessity  for  a  na- 
tion's remembrance  of  God,  and  recognition  of  His 
government  in  all  its  affairs.  In  the  second 
book  I  have  a  revelation  of  the  absolute  folly 

and  failure  of  the  nation  which  recognizes  God 

223 


224    THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  CHRONICLES 

formally,  but  does  not  answer  the  symbolism  of 
its  recognition  by  the  actuality  of  its  conduct 
and  character.  That  is  the  difference  between 
rationalism  and  ritualism.  Rationalism  says, 
We  can  manage  without  God.  Ritualism  says, 
We  must  adopt  the  terminology  which  suggests 
God,  and  having  done  that,  it  is  careless  of  that 
actual  dealing  with  Him,  which  is  vital  to  national 
life. 

In  the  first  division  of  the  book  we  have  the 
story  of  Solomon,  and  it  constitutes  a  demonstra- 
tion by  contrast  of  the  impotence  and  useless- 
ness  of  formal  religion.  In  the  second  division, 
which  gives  us  the  history  of  the  Kings  oi 
Judah,  we  have  illustration  in  history.  Take 
first  this  demonstration  by  contrast.  In 
looking  at  the  details  we  notice  four  things : 
Solomon's  inheritance,  his  greatness,  his  service, 
his  failure. 

As  to  Solomon's  inheritance.  A  superficial 
statement  is  that  he  came  to  the  throne  and  the 
kingdom.  That  is  perfectly  correct  so  far  as  it 
goes.  The  throne  and  the  kingdom  created  his 
opportunity  for  fulfilling  the  supreme  purpose  of 
bis  life.  Solomon's  supreme  inheritance  was 
that  of  the  work  of  building  the  temple,  for  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  CHRONICLES    225 

recognition  of  God  on  the  part  of  the  nation. 
He  came  to  be  king  over  a  people  recognizing 
the  supremacy  of  the  throne  of  Jehovah. 

His  father  David  had  prepared  for  the  building 
of  the  temple,  the  master  passion  of  his  life  hav- 
ing been  that  of  the  recognition  of  the  relation  of 
national  strength  to  submission  to  the  throne  of 
God.  The  government  of  the  people  from  the 
beginning  of  their  national  existence  was  closely 
associated  with  the  formulae  of  worship.  Moses 
was  the  lawgiver.  His  first  work  was  the  build- 
ing of  the  tabernacle,  and  the  setting  in  the 
centre  of  the  nation  of  all  the  symbols  of  its  re- 
lation to  God.  When  Solomon  commenced  to 
reign  he  did  not  offer  his  first  sacrifice  at  the 
place  where  the  ark  was,  the  temporary  tent 
which  David  had  erected,  but  at  the  old  taber- 
nacle, long  neglected.  That  action  of  Solomon 
was  significant.  The  tabernacle  had  symbolized 
the  people's  relationship  to  God,  and  by  going 
to  it  he  expressed  his  conviction  that  their  na- 
tional greatness  and  strength  depended  upon 
their  relation  to  the  throne  of  God.  His  temple 
was  to  be  the  successor  of  Moses'  tabernacle. 
Solomon's  inheritance,  then,  was  the  opportunity, 
right,  and  privilege,  of  building  that  temple 


226    THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  CHRONICLES 

which  was  to  remind  the  people  of  their  relation 
to  God. 

Then  as  to  Solomon's  greatness.  The  begin- 
ning was  a  wonderful  one.  The  greatness  of  the 
man  is  revealed  in  the  simplicity  of  his  heart  as 
he  made  his  plea  for  wisdom.  It  is  seen,  more- 
over, in  the  fact  that,  as  a  king,  he  bore  his  peo- 
ple on  his  heart  in  intercession  before  God. 

His  service  consisted  of  the  building  of  the 
temple;  and  then  in  the  administration  of  his 
kingdom  from  that  centre.  That  we  need  not 
stay  to  describe.  All  the  details  are  simply  set 
forth  by  the  chronicler. 

His  failure  was  disastrous,  and  was  caused  by 
the  violation,  in  his  own  self-centred  life,  of  the 
truth  the  temple  expressed.  Even  in  the  days 
of  prosperity  there  are  evidences  of  weakness,  as  a 
man  of  sensual  passion  is  seen  playing  upon  the 
edge  of  the  awful  things  that  ultimately  ruined 
him.  The  whole  failure  of  Solomon  was  due  to 
the  fact  that  he  answered  the  cry  of  his  own  self- 
life,  and  in  doing  so  violated  the  principle  of 
Divine  government,  to  which  the  temple  he  had 
erected  bore  witness  before  himself  and  his 
people. 

The  temple  became,  in  the  case  of  Solomon,  a 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  CHRONICLES    227 

form  and  nothing  more.  Consequently,  it  be- 
came not  merely  of  no  use,  but  a  paralysis  in  the 
life  of  the  king,  and  a  poison  in  the  life  of  the 
nation. 

Turn  to  the  second  division  of  the  book.  It 
tells  the  story  of  Judah  from  Rehoboam  to  Zede- 
kiah,  The  sin  of  Jeroboam  in  Israel  consisted  of 
the  substitution  of  a  false  form  of  worship  for  the 
true.  Rehoboam  retained  the  true  form  in  Judah. 
Throughout  the  history  there  is  the  observance  of 
the  form,  and  the  neglect  of  the  fact.  This 
issued  in  growing  neglect  of  the  form.  We  nevei 
find  nations  or  men  long  observe  a  form  when  it 
becomes  devoid  of  power.  Mere  formalism  must 
die  sooner  or  later.  The  issue  is  irreligion,  in- 
fidelity. It  was  so  here.  All  the  reformations 
began  at  the  house  of  God.  Asa  renewed  the 
altar,  and  restored  the  dedicated  vessels  to  their 
place.  Jehoshaphat  instituted  a  series  of  special 
missions  all  through  the  country,  sending  men 
to  read  and  explain  the  book  of  the  law  through 
the  towns  and  villages.  Joash  restored  the  house 
after  Athaliah's  destruction  of  it.  Hezekiah 
opened  the  doors,  and  assembled  the  people  for 
worship.  Josiah  repaired  the  house  of  the  Lord. 

In  each  case  the  revelations  of  the  beginnings 


228    THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  CHRONICLES 

of  the  reformations  are  appalling.  Asa  renewed 
the  altar,  and  restored  the  dedicated  vessels. 
That  implies  a  broken  altar  and  desecrated  ves- 
sels. Jehoshaphat  felt  it  necessary  to  send 
special  prophetic  messengers  through  the  coun- 
try to  interpret  the  book  of  the  law,  which  re- 
veals the  prevailing  ignorance  of  the  law.  Joash 
restored  the  house  of  the  Lord  after  Athaliah's 
destruction.  That  means  that  the  house  had 
been  destroyed.  Hezekiah  opened  the  doors, 
which  means  that  while  the  house  still  stood,  the 
people  had  become  so  utterly  weary  of  formalism, 
that  the  doors  had  been  closed.  Mark  the  mar- 
vel of  the  story  of  Josiah.  In  the  midst  of  a  ref- 
ormation that  must  have  been  very  partial,  they 
found  the  book  of  the  law ;  and  finding  it,  and 
reading  in  it,  the  king  was  so  startled  at  the  aw- 
ful condition  of  his  people  that  he  halted  the 
whole  reformation,  in  order  to  find  out  from  the 
prophetess  Huldah  the  meaning  of  this  law,  and 
the  effect  likely  to  be  produced  by  his  reformation. 
Thus  all  through  the  story  we  see  the  people 
getting  lower,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  at  the 
commencement  of  this  period  of  history  the 
temple  was  built  and  established,  and  became 
the  central  symbol  of  their  religious  life. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  CHRONICLES    229 

Finally  there  came  the  ultimate  disaster.  The 
house  was  burned  with  fire,  and  the  people  were 
carried  away  into  captivity.  In  the  first  book 
the  story  is  told  of  the  passionate  desire  of  the 
man  after  God's  own  heart  to  build  the  temple, 
knowing  as  he  did  the  importance  of  the  recog- 
nition by  the  nation  of  the  fact  of  God.  In  the 
second  tbook  the  aspiration  of  David  becomes  the 
achievement  of  Solomon.  The  passionate  de- 
sire of  the  old  man  becomes  the  actual  deed  of 
the  young  man.  I  stand  in  the  earlier  chapters 
almost  amazed  at  the  splendour  and  beauty  of 
the  temple,  and  I  listen  to  the  songs  of  the  sing- 
ers, and  watch  the  worship  of  the  worshippers, 
and  I  thank  God  with  David  that  the  house  is 
built.  Yet  immediately  I  see  the  nation  begin- 
ning to  fall,  and  gradually,  stage  after  stage, 
sinking  lower,  until  the  house  is  burned  and  the 
chosen  nation  is  cast  away.  If  the  first  book 
teaches  that  it  was  necessary  that  these  people 
should  recognize  God,  the  second  teaches  us 
that  when  the  recognition  was  that  of  form  and 
ceremony,  it  was  worse  than  useless.  That  to 
me  is  the  permanent  value  of  this  book,  which 
thrills  and  throbs  through  all  its  history,  and 
upon  all  its  pages. 


•^o    THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  CHRONICLES 

The  living  message  of  the  book  is  that  of  the 
impotence  of  formal  religion  in  the  life  of  a  na- 
tion. Let  us  first  discover  the  point  of  applica- 
tion. In  the  thirteenth  verse  of  the  fifth  chapter 
I  read,  "  It  came  even  to  pass,  when  the  trump- 
eters and  singers  were  as  one,  to  make  one 
sound  to  be  heard  in  praising  and  thanking  the 
Lord ;  and  when  they  lifted  up  their  voice  with 
the  trumpets  and  cymbals  and  instruments  of 
music,  and  praised  the  Lord,  saying,  For  He 
is  good :  for  His  mercy  endureth  forever :  that 
then  the  house  was  filled  with  a  cloud,  even  the 
house  of  the  Lord."  It  was  a  great  moment. 
The  temple  finished,  its  worship  of  song  per- 
fected, all  the  notes  of  the  instruments  and  voices 
merged  into  one  great  ascription  of  praise. 
Then  the  glory  filled  the  house.  In  the  Acts  I 
read,  "When  the  day  of  Pentecost  was  now 
come,  they  were  all  together  in  one  place.  And 
suddenly  there  came  from  heaven  a  sound  as  of 
the  rushing  of  a  mighty  wind,  and  it  filled  all  the 
house  where  they  were  sitting.  And  there  ap- 
peared unto  them  tongues  parting  asunder,  like 
as  of  fire ;  and  it  sat  upon  each  one  of  them." 
The  connection  between  these  two  passages  is 
evident  Doubtless  there  is  disparity,  but  there 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  CHRONICLES    231 

is  also  similarity.  The  two  temples ;  the  first 
was  natural,  the  last  spiritual.  The  temple  in 
the  olden  days,  made  according  to  the  pattern  of 
God,  in  the  unity  of  worship  crowned  with  the 
glory  of  God,  and  filled  with  His  presence ;  the 
symbol  in  the  centre  of  the  nation  of  the  pres- 
ence and  government  of  God.  That  is  the  Old 
Testament  picture.  Observe  the  New  Testa- 
ment picture.  Again  the  temple,  no  longer  of 
material  things,  but  of  living  stones,  merged  into 
the  habitation  of  God  by  the  baptism  of  the 
Spirit,  a  perfect  unity. 

As  the  temple  in  Chronicles  was  the  centre 
and  criterion  of  national  life,  so  the  Church  of 
God  is  the  centre  .and  criterion  of  national  life, 
if  she  do  but  understand  her  vocation,  and  fill 
her  position.  The  application  of  the  first  book 
of  Chronicles  is  to  the  nation.  The  message  de- 
livered to  the  nation  was  this,  If  you  think  by 
policy  and  diplomacy  to  maintain  your  strength 
without  recognizing  God,  you  are  doomed  to 
disaster.  Now  the  message  is  to  the  Church. 
It  is  a  warning  to  the  spiritual  Church  lest  she 
should  become  formal,  and  so  fail  to  establish 
the  nation.  I  have  no  desire  to  use  any  phrase 
in  a  controversial  sense  here,  but  I  am  bound,  in 


232    THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  CHRONICLES 

the  interpretation  of  truth  as  I  see  it  in  the  Bible, 
to  say  this,  the  Bible  knows  nothing  of  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Church  by  the  State,  but  it 
teaches  forevermore  that  the  Church  must  estab- 
lish the  nation.  In  order  to  do  this,  formal  re- 
ligion is  infinitely  worse  than  none.  By  formal 
religion  I  mean  high  Church  doctrine  without 
full  Church  life.  I  mean  Puritan  philosophy 
without  Puritan  experience.  I  mean  a  Noncon- 
formist conscience  without  conduct  conformed 
to  Christ.  These  things  are  the  essence  of 
ritualism. 

What  is  high  Church  doctrine  without  full 
Church  life  ?  The  doctrine  of  the  Church  that  is 
forevermore  arguing  for  the  correctness  of  its 
views,  and  cursing  the  man  who  does  not  share 
them !  That  is  a  formalism  which  curses  a 
nation. 

What  is  Puritan  philosophy  without  Puritan 
experience?  There  are  some  who  think  the 
Puritan  philosophy  consisted  in  a  passion  for  des- 
troying buildings.  Nothing  of  the  kind.  The 
Puritan  philosophy  is  that  man  is  spiritual,  and 
has  the  right  of  access  to  God  who  is  Spirit, 
without  the  intervention  of  man  or  ceremony. 
Oh,  the  dignity  of  it  \  But  if  that  is  our  phi- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  CHRONICLES    233 

losophy,  and  we  do  not  go  to  God,  our  philos- 
ophy becomes  paralysis  instead  of  power. 
Sometimes  I  am  a  little  tired  of  hearing  about 
the  Puritanism  of  the  Free  Churches.  I  want  to 
see  it  in  the  life  of  those  who  know  what  it  is  to 
have  commerce  with  God.  What  do  I  care 
about  the  accidentals  in  the  Puritan  movements 
of  long  ago — the  speech,  the  dress,  the  icono- 
clasm  ?  If  a  man  looks  at  these  things  only,  he 
has  never  seen  the  Puritan  movement  The 
Puritan  movement  was  that  of  strenuous  saints, 
who  refused  to  let  any  one  come  between  them- 
selves and  God.  Hold  that  philosophy  to  be  a 
fine  one,  and  live  six  days  a  week  as  though 
there  were  no  God,  and  that  is  a  ritualism  which 
is  a  peril  to  a  nation. 

What  is  a  Nonconformist  conscience  without 
Christian  conduct  ?  The  presence  of  the  crowd 
at  the  platform  meeting  when  we  show  our  su- 
periority to  other  people,  and  its  absence  from 
the  service  of  worship,  and  its  neglect  of  the 
worship  of  work.  We  need  the  conscience  sen- 
sitive to  the  call  of  Christ ;  the  conscience  that 
worships,  and  then  strips  itself  to  serve.  If  I  am 
forevermore  talking  about  my  conscience,  and 
boasting  in  my  freedom,  and  fighting  merely  for 


234    THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  CHRONICLES 

the  shibboleths  of  freedom ;  that  is  ritualism,  and 
I  have  no  room  to  criticize  the  man  who  is  a 
ritualist  in  some  other  section  of  the  Church. 

The  disaster  of  formalism.  What  is  it  ?  It  is 
not  merely  that  the  Church  is  a  failure.  That, 
of  course,  is  a  disaster.  I  am  not,  however,  pre- 
pared to  shed  tears  over  the  failure  of  a  system. 
I  am  prepared  to  shed  them  over  the  fact  that 
when  the  system  fails,  the  work  is  not  done. 
That  is  the  supreme  and  final  agony.  If  the 
Church  of  God  is  not  what  it  ought  to  be,  we 
have  a  nation  without  salt  and  without  light,  a 
nation  rushing  headlong  to  Godlessness,  charac- 
terized by  base  ideals  and  ignoble  conduct ;  by 
cowardice  in  the  presence  of  a  wrong,  and  care- 
lessness about  the  importance  of  right.  If  that 
be  the  national  condition,  the  blame  is  with  the 
Church  of  God.  I  do  not  say  the  churches,  but 
the  Church,  the  Catholic  Church,  which  is  the 
Temple  of  God.  If  she  were  instinct  with  the 
life  of  Christ,  and  allowed  that  life  to  fill  and 
flood  and  flow  through  her,  the  nation  could  no 
longer  be  careless. 

I  go  back  to  the  creation  of  the  temple,  and 
what  followed  in  Jerusalem.  The  multitudes 
were  amazed,  perplexed,  critical.  The  tragedy 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  II.  CHRONICLES    235 

of  the  hour  is  that  the  Church  does  not  amaze 
London,  does  not  perplex  London,  does  not 
make  London  critical.  Why  not?  Because  of 
her  formalism.  The  world  has  done  with  form- 
alism. Whether  it  be  her  theatres,  her  public 
houses,  or  anything  else,  she  means  business ; 
and  a  world  that  means  business  is  never  going 
to  be  influenced  by  a  Church  that  is  playing. 
What  we  need  is  the  Church,  the  Temple,  filled 
with  the  Presence,  flaming  in  its  glory,  flashing 
in  its  light,  communicating  its  fire.  Then  we 
shall  be  able  to  say  to  the  evil  statesman,  You 
dare  not !  We  shall  be  able  to  say  to  vested  in- 
terests, Disgorge !  We  shall  cast  out  devils  in 
the  name  of  Christ.  But  formalism  can  do  none 
of  these  things.  What  then  is  the  message  of 
the  second  book  of  Chronicles?  What  is  the 
living  word  ?  "  Strengthen  the  things  that  re- 
main.'1 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZRA 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUE 


B 

THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


The  Potter  in  His  Activity.    "  He  made  it  again 
another  Vessel." 

L  Jehovah's  Instruments 
L  Outside  the  Covenant. 
a.  Cyrus. 

t.  Darius. 
c.  Artaxerxes. 
iL  Within  the  Covenant. 

a.  Zerubbabel  and  Joshua. 

b.  Ezra. 

II.  Jehovah's  Might 

i.  Constructive. 

a.  Inspiring  the  Edicts. 

b.  Qualifying  His  Workers. 

c.  Gathering  His  People. 

iL  Destructive.     Overcoming  Opposition. 

III.  Jehovah's  People 

L  A  Remnant.     Composed  of  Members  of  all  the 

Tribes. 
A.  A  Testimony.     To  one  Truth,  the  Unity  of  God. 

IV.  Jehovah's  Work 

i.  The  Things  lost. 

a.  National  Independence. 

b.  National  Influence. 
iL  The  Things  gained. 

a.  A  Place. 

b.  A  Race. 


I.  Concerning  God  the  liv 

ing  Message  is  that  of 

the  Permanent  Value 

L  The   ultimate   Word   in 

Sovereignty. 

ii.  The  Revelation  of  the 
Inspiration  of  Sover- 
eignty. 

iii.  Sovereignty  the  Strength 
of  Hope. 


II.  To  Man  the  living  Mes- 
sage consists  of  the 
things  resulting 

[Hag.  ii.  4. 

i.  Conviction   in  place   of 

Carelessness. 
ii.  Consecration  in  place  of 

Comfort, 
iii.  Courage     in     place     of 

Cowardice, 
iv.  Confidence   in   place  of 

Contempt. 


,  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZRA 

THE  book  of  Ezra  cannot  be  considered 
alone.     In  order  that  we  may  study  it, 
and  its  message,  it  is  necessary  that  we 
should  first  recognize  the  connection  between  it 
and  the  two  following  books.     The  three  deal 
with  the  history  of  the  period  in  which  one  of 
the  prophecies  of  Jeremiah  was  fulfilled.     Let  us 
read    from   Jeremiah,   first,   in   the   twenty-fifth 
chapter,  verses  eleven  to  fourteen  : 

"  This  whole  land  shall  be  a  desolation,  and 
an  astonishment ;  and  these  nations  shall  serve 
the  king  of  Babylon  seventy  years.  And  it 
shall  come  to  pass,  when  seventy  years  are 
accomplished,  that  I  will  punish  the  king  of 
Babylon,  and  that  nation,  saith  the  Lord,  for 
their  iniquity,  and  the  land  of  the  Chaldeans  ; 
and  I  will  make  it  desolate  forever.  And  I  will 
bring  upon  that  land  all  My  words  which  I  have 
pronounced  against  it,  even  all  that  is  written 
in  this  book,  which  Jeremiah  hath  prophesied 
against  all  the  nations.  For  many  nations  and 
great  kings  shall  serve  themselves  of  them, 

237 


238  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZRA 

even  of  them :  and  I  will  recompense  them  ac- 
cording to  their  deeds,  and  according  to  the 
work  of  their  hands." 

Again  in  the  twenty-ninth  chapter,  verses  ten 
to  fourteen : 

"Thus  saith  the  Lord,  After  seventy  years 
be  accomplished  for  Babylon,  I  will  visit  you, 
and  perform  My  good  word  towards  you,  in 
causing  you  to  return  to  this  place.  For  I  know 
the  thoughts  that  I  think  towards  you,  saith  the 
Lord,  thoughts  of  peace,  and  not  of  evil,  to 
give  you  hope  in  your  latter  end.  And  ye 
shall  call  upon  Me,  and  ye  shall  go  and  pray 
unto  Me,  and  I  will  hearken  unto  you.  And 
ye  shall  seek  Me,  and  find  Me,  when  ye  shall 
search  for  Me  with  all  your  heart.  And  I  will 
be  found  of  you,  saith  the  Lord,  and  I  will  turn 
again  your  captivity,  and  I  will  gather  you 
from  all  the  nations,  and  from  all  the  places 
whither  I  have  driven  you,  saith  the  Lord  ;  and 
I  will  bring  you  again  unto  the  place  whence  I 
caused  you  to  be  carried  away  captive." 

These  words  are  taken  from  the  prophecies 
which  were  delivered  before  the  fall  of  Jerusalem, 
and  on  the  occasion  of  Jeremiah's  visit  to  Zede- 
kiah.  The  king  of  Babylon  and  his  army  were 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZRA  239 

threatening  Jerusalem ;  and  Jeremiah  suffered 
because  he  persistently  declared  that  they  would 
successfully  take  the  city,  carry  away  the  king, 
and  destroy  the  people. 

Seventy  years  had  elapsed  from  the  fall  of 
Jerusalem.  The  power  of  Babylon  had  been 
broken,  and  that  forever.  Cyrus  the  Elamite 
was  on  the  throne ;  king  of  Persia,  though  not 
a  native  of  Persia,  taking  that  name  because 
Persia  was  the  strongest  of  the  countries  he  had 
mastered ;  king  of  Babylon,  because  he  had 
broken  the  power  of  Babylon,  in  exact  fulfill- 
ment of  Jeremiah's  prophecy,  after  seventy 
years.  Thus,  Persia  had  become  the  ruling 
power. 

We  now  come  to  the  story  of  the  events,  the 
first  of  which  the  two  books  of  Chronicles  were 
written  to  inspire.  The  permanent  value  of  the 
three  books  lies  in  their  revelation  of  the  Divine 
activity  overruling  human  failure. 

Before  the  messages  actually  delivered  to 
Zedekiah,  Jeremiah  had  uttered  two  on  the 
supremacy  of  Jehovah  ;  the  first  describing  a 
visit  to  the  potter's  house,  and  the  second  deal- 
ing with  the  vessel  broken.  The  first  of  these 
opens  thus,  "  The  word  which  came  to  Jeremiah 


240  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZRA 

from  the  Lord,  saying,  Arise,  and  go  down  to 
the  potter's  house,  and  there  I  will  cause  thee  to 
hear  My  words.  Then  I  went  down  to  the 
potter's  house,  and,  behold,  he  wrought  his  work 
on  the  wheels.  And  when  the  vessel  that  he 
made  of  the  clay  was  marred  in  the  hand  of  the 
potter,  he  made  it  again  another  vessel,  as 
seemed  good  to  the  potter  to  make  it." 

That  is  the  picture  Jeremiah  saw  in  the  house 
of  the  potter.  He  then  applied  it  in  these 
words : 

"  Then  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  me, 
saying,  O  house  of  Israel,  cannot  I  do  with  you 
as  this  potter?  saith  the  Lord.  Behold,  as  the 
clay  in  the  potter's  hand,  so  are  ye  in  Mine 
hand,  O  house  of  Israel."  The  house  of  Israel 
is  the  clay.  God  is  the  Potter.  He  wrought 
His  work  on  the  wheels ;  the  vessel  was  marred 
in  the  hands  of  the  Potter.  That  is  the  history 
of  everything  from  Abraham  to  the  Captivity. 
What  next  ?  "  He  made  it  again  another 
vessel."  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  and  Esther  are  the 
books  that  tell  us  the  story  of  how  God  began 
to  make  again  the  vessel  that  had  been  marred 
in  His  own  hand.  God  has  not  finished  that 
work  yet.  He  will  finish  it.  Israel  is  not  cast 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZRA  241 

off  forever.  God  has  yet  His  work  to  do  in 
this  world  through  His  ancient  people.  In 
Ezra,  Nehemiah,  and  Esther  I  see  God's  new 
beginning.  We  are  tempted  to  think  that  the 
work  is  slow.  Never  let  us  descend  to  the 
vulgarity  of  measuring  God  by  man-made  alma- 
nacs. 

In  the  light  of  what  I  have  attempted  to  say 
of  its  relation,  we  may  consider  the  book  of 
Ezra.  Let  us  first  pass  over  it  and  notice  four 
things;  Jehovah's  instruments  ;  Jehovah's  might ; 
Jehovah's  people ;  Jehovah's  work. 

First,  then,  Jehovah's  instruments.  These  were 
found  both  outside  and  inside  the  covenant  peo- 
ple. The  hour  had  come  when  the  vessel  was  so 
marred  and  spoiled  that  God  began  again,  but 
He  began  with  the  same  piece  of  clay.  The  in- 
struments outside  were  Cyrus,  Darius,  Artax- 
erxes,  each  one  of  whom  issued  a  decree  which 
was  inspired  of  God,  as  surely  as  were  the 
messages  of  Isaiah.  God  laid  the  constraint 
of  His  mighty  power  upon  the  heart  of  kings. 
He  girded  Cyrus,  although  Cyrus  had  not 
known  Him.  He  took  this  man  outside  the 
covenant,  and  pressed  him  into  the  accomplish- 
ment of  His  own  purpose.  So  also  with  Darius 


242  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZRA 

and  Artaxerxes.  God  was  beginning  a  new 
thing,  and  He  took  hold  of  mighty  kings  and 
warriors,  and  made  the  very  marching  of  their 
armies  part  of  His  progress,  and  used  the  sigh- 
ing of  captives  under  their  control  to  touch  their 
heart  and  drive  their  will,  so  that  they  cooperated 
with  Him. 

He  found  His  instruments  inside  also  ;  Zerub- 
babel,  the  man  with  the  Babylonish  name,  a 
grandson  of  Jehoiachim,  and  a  prince  of  Judah 
in  the  Davidic  line ;  and  Joshua,  the  son  of 
Jehozadak.  These  two  embodied  the  twofold 
principle  that  had  been  manifest  in  all  His  deal- 
ings with  the  people,  that  of  the  king  and  the 
priest.  These  He  placed  in  the  midst  of  ruin 
and  degradation,  and  they  began  to  inspire 
other  hearts,  and  so  the  new  movement  com- 
menced. Then  Ezra  also,  "  A  ready  scribe  in 
the  law  of  Moses,"  which  does  not  mean  merely 
that  he  was  a  man  who  was  able  to  write  clearly 
and  accurately.  This  is  the  first  place  in  which 
the  word  "scribe"  occurs  in  the  Bible  in  the 
sense  in  which  we  perpetually  find  it  in  the  New 
Testament.  Jesus  used  the  word  at  the  close  of 
His  parables  concerning  the  Kingdom,  when  He 
said :  "  Every  scribe  who  hath  been  made  a  dis- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZRA  243 

ciple  to  the  Kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a 
man  that  is  a  householder,  which  bringeth  forth 
out  of  his  treasure  things  new  and  old."  The 
scribe  was  the  interpreter,  the  teacher,  the  un- 
folder  of  the  meaning  of  the  will  of  God.  In 
that  sense  Ezra  was  "  a  ready  scribe  in  the  law 
of  Moses." 

Thus  God  laid  His  hand  upon  Cyrus,  Darius, 
and  Artaxerxes  outside  the  covenant ;  and  upon 
Zerubbabel,  Joshua,  and  Ezra  within  the  cove- 
nant. The  principle  revealed  is  that  God  presses 
into  His  service  men  who  do  not  know  Him,  and 
who  are  unconscious  that  they  are  carrying  out 
His  will ;  and  inspires  men  who  do  know  Him, 
and  compels  them  to  constructive  activity.  We 
cannot  study  the  three  edicts,  recognizing  that 
they  were  the  edicts  of  pagan  kings,  without 
recognizing  them  as  inspired  of  God.  His 
might  was  manifested,  moreover,  in  the  way  in 
which  He  qualified  His  workers  for  the  work 
they  had  to  do ;  gathered  His  people  from  far 
and  near — not  merely  Judah,  all  the  tribes  of 
Israel  being  represented. 

That  leads  us  to  Jehovah's  people,  the  clay,  the 
remnant  composed  of  members  of  all  the  tribes. 
"  So  the  priests,  and  the  Levites,  and  some  of 


244  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZRA 

the  people,  and  the  singers,  and  the  porters,  and 
the  Nethinim,  dwelt  in  their  cities,  and  all  Israel 
in  their  cities."  "  And  the  children  of  Israel,  the 
priests  and  the  Levites,  and  the  rest  of  the  chil- 
dren of  the  captivity,  kept  the  dedication  of  this 
house  of  God  with  joy.  And  they  offered  at  the 
dedication  of  this  house  of  God  an  hundred 
bullocks,  two  hundred  rams,  four  hundred  lambs  ; 
and  for  a  sin  offering  for  all  Israel,  twelve  he- 
goats,  according  to  the  number  of  the  tribes  of 
Israel."  God,  in  remaking,  did  not  merely 
take  two  tribes,  but  representatives  of  all  the 
twelve. 

When  He  brought  them  back  from  captivity, 
He  established  one  great  truth  in  the  world,  and 
in  the  midst  of  human  history  ;  that  of  the  unity 
of  Deity.  They  came  back,  having  learned  only 
the  first  thing,  but  they  never  forgot  it  again. 
The  great  word  of  Moses  was,  "  The  Lord  thy 
God  is  one  Lord."  The  unity  of  Deity  produces 
the  unification  of  humanity  in  the  worship  of  the 
one  God.  Believe  that,  and  there  can  be  no 
idolatry.  But  they  turned  to  idolatry,  until 
Israel  was  driven  into  captivity,  and  Judah  also. 
Seventy  years  passed  over  their  heads,  and  they 
came  back,  and  never  set  up  an  idol  again. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZRA  245 

Ephraim  said,  "  What  have  I  to  do  any  more 
with  idols  ? "  They  had  a  great  deal  more  to 
learn ;  but  from  the  hour  in  which  they  came 
back  under  Zerubbabel,  until  this  hour,  call  them 
Jews,  Hebrews  or  Israelites,  as  you  will,  this  one 
thing  is  certain  ;  they  have  never  set  up  an  idol. 
They  became  a  people,  poor  in  many  respects, 
failing  in  many  respects  ;  yet  through  crushing, 
bruising,  and  discipline,  a  people  who  in  human 
history  embody  the  truth  that  there  is  one  God. 

Finally,  notice  Jehovah's  work.  When  these 
people  gathered  back  they  had  lost  their  national 
influence.  Never  again  did  they  so  stand  alone, 
as  to  be  able  to  bear  their  distinctive  testimony, 
in  such  a  way  as  to  produce  conviction.  Yet 
there  was  gain  in  that  hour  when  the  remnant 
came  back.  They  began  building,  and  built 
with  some  interruptions  for  twenty  years ;  then 
stopped,  and  for  sixty  years  nothing  was  done. 
But  God  was  at  work.  He  had  found  a 
place  for  them,  and  as  Jeremiah  said,  it  was  the 
place  from  which  He  drove  them  out.  They 
were  back  at  the  geographical  centre.  Not 
merely  had  He  found  a  place.  He  had  saved 
that  peculiar  people  and  race  from  extinction  by 
absorption.  The  Pharisees  were  born  in  this 


246  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZRA 

period,  and  as  a  result  of  the  Divine  movement. 
The  Pharisees  were  first  of  all  men  who  set 
themselves  against  anything  in  the  nature  of  in- 
termixture with  the  nations  around.  At  last  that 
exclusiveness  became  a  bondage  and  a  curse,  as 
every  good  thing  does  if  it  is  not  allowed  to 
expand  and  to  express  itself  in  new  forms. 
Pharisaism  was  a  true  thing  in  its  inception, 
being  an  endeavour  to  keep  the  race  distinct 
until  He  should  come  through  it,  and  of  it,  after 
the  flesh,  who  by  His  coming  was  able  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  larger  things  of  which  these  people 
had  been  the  foreshadowing.  God  had  begun 
to  make  it  again  another  vessel. 

If  that  be  the  permanent  value,  what  is  the 
living  message  of  the  book?  Its  living  message 
concerning  God  is  the  permanent  value.  "  He 
made  it  again."  That  is  the  ultimate  word  in 
sovereignty.  It  is  so  different  from  anything 
men  had  ever  dreamed  or  done.  The  ultimate 
word  of  sovereignty  as  man  has  misunderstood 
it,  and  misinterpreted  it  in  his  own  government, 
is  that  if  you  have  had  an  opportunity  and  failed, 
sovereignty  smites  and  crushes  you  and  flings 
you  out.  The  last  word  of  God's  sovereignty  is, 
"  He  made  it  again."  That  helps  me.  Th* 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZRA  247 

same  truth  is  found  in  the  story  of  Jonah,  "  The 
word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  Jonah  the  second 
time."  The  clay  is  in  the  hand  of  the  Potter, 
but  the  vessel  is  marred,  the  ideal  is  not  realized, 
the  clay  that  might  have  been  a  shape  of  ex- 
quisite beauty  is  crushed.  God's  sovereignty 
says,  I  will  begin  again.  If  that  be  the  ultimate 
word  of  sovereignty,  it  reveals  the  fact  that  its 
inspiration  is  His  love,  His  compassion,  His  pity. 
Of  course,  if  a  man  will  not  have  it  so,  his  blood 
is  upon  his  own  head.  If  a  nation  will  not  have 
it  so,  then  its  dust  and  ashes  are  of  its  own  crea- 
tion. But  the  very  inspiration  of  Divine  sover- 
eignty is  expressed  there,  "  He  made  it  again." 

Therefore,  the  sovereignty  of  God  is  the 
strength  of  hope  on  the  darkest  day  that  ever 
comes.  "  He  made  it  again."  How  it  helps  me 
about  my  own  life.  How  it  helps  me  about  the 
things  of  my  service,  which  are  so  poor  and  so 
broken.  How  it  helps  me  when  I  see  the  cause 
of  the  peoples  I  serve  falling  to  pieces  in  dis- 
aster, when  I  see  the  chosen  instruments  of  Je- 
hovah failing  in  the  day  of  catastrophe.  When  I 
feel  that  which  is  most  hopeful  is  blighted  by 
frost,  then  there  is  an  anthem  in  my  heart,  "  He 
made  it  again."  Take  God  off  His  throne,  and 


248  THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZRA 

my  song  ceases,  the  blossom  of  my  hope  withers, 
and  my  heart  is  broken. 

The  living  message  of  the  book,  therefore,  con- 
sists in  the  appeal  consequent  upon  the  fact  of 
the  Divine  government  and  sovereignty,  and  is 
expressed  in  the  word  of  Haggai :  "  Be  strong, 
O  Zerubbabel,  saith  the  Lord  ;  and  be  strong,  O 
Joshua,  son  of  Jehozadak,  the  high  priest;  and 
be  strong,  all  ye  people  of  the  land,  saith  the 
Lord,  and  work :  for  I  am  with  you,  saith  the 
Lord  of  hosts."  That  is  the  message.  Be 
strong,  because  I  am  with  you,  says  Jehovah,  I 
am  still  on  the  throne.  God  is  still  able  to  gird 
Cyrus.  Change  your  names.  God  still  holds 
in  His  hand  the  German  Emperor,  the  Russian 
Emperor,  King  George  the  Fifth.  Do  not  get 
back  into  these  old  centuries  and  miss  the  living 
message.  Do  not  imagine  that  God  manipu- 
lated Cyrus,  and  leaves  the  kings  of  to-day 
alone.  They  are  all  within  the  hand  of  God. 

Because  I  am  with  you,  "  Be  strong  .  .  . 
and  work."  That  is  the  message.  Take  the 
book  of  Haggai,  which  is  so  intimately  related  to 
Ezra.  How  were  these  people  to  be  strong,  and 
work?  They  were  to  have  conviction  of  the 
throne  of  God  in  place  of  carelessness ;  consecra- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZRA  249 

tion  in  place  of  despair ;  courage  in  place  of  cow- 
ardice ;  confidence  in  God's  ultimate,  instead  of 
contempt  for  the  poverty  of  the  day  in  which 
they  lived  and  served. 

"  God's  in  His  heaven,  all's  right  with  the 
world  "  ;  but  I  must  be  strong,  and  work.  There 
must  be  the  song  in  my  heart  that  tells,  "  He 
will  make  it  again  "  ;  but  there  must  be  agony 
in  my  heart,  travail  in  my  life,  the  cross  in  my 
service,  so  that  I  may  march  right  onward  to 
the  goal. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUE 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


The  Clay  in  its  Attitude. 

"  My  righteous  One  shall  live  by  Faith." 

I.  The  Attitude 

i.  Concern.     Expressed   in  Enquiry  and   Sorrow. 

(i.  2,  4). 
ii.  Confidence.     Expressed  in  Prayer  and  Sorrow. 

(i.  5— ii.  4,  iv.  9). 
iii.  Cooperation.     Expressed  in  Activity. 

II.  The  Activity 

i.  Caution.     His  Secret  Examination. 

His    Arrangements    for    Division  of 

Labour, 
ii.  Courage.    The  Single-handed  Start. 

The  Invincible  Determination. 
Iii.  No  Compromise. 

a.  With  those  outside. 

Contempt. 

Conspiracy. 

Cunning. 

b.  With  those  inside. 

The  Nobles. 
Those  Disloyal 

III.  The  Achievement 
i.  The  City. 

a.  Walls. 

b.  People. 
ii.  The  Law. 

a.  Expounded. 

b.  Enforced. 
in.  The  Purpose. 

A  Highway  flung  up. 


I.  The  Darkness 

The  Prophecy  of  Malachi. 

The  indifferent  Multi- 
tudes. 

The  wide-spread  Disloy- 
alty to  Truth. 

The  Lack  of  Enthusiasm 

II.  The  Life  of  Faith 

Is  sure  of  God. 

Acts  with  Him,  and  for 

Him. 

Declines  all  Compromise. 
Trusts  God. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH 

THERE  is  a  very  special  interest  attach- 
ing to  this  book,  from  the  fact  that  it  is 
the  last  fragment  of  inspired  Hebrew 
history.  Both  in  the  Hebrew  Scriptures,  and  in 
all  the  earlier  manuscripts  of  the  Christian  Scrip- 
tures, Ezra  and  Nehemiah  appear  as  one  book. 
Subsequently  they  appear  as  two,  under  the 
titles,  the  first  and  second  books  of  Ezra.  The 
name  Nehemiah  was  first  given  to  the  second 
part  of  this  one  book  in  the  writings  of  Jerome. 
In  the  Wycliffe  translation  they  are  called  the 
first  and  second  books  of  Esdras.  In  the  Miles 
Coverdale  translation  they  are  entitled,  the  first 
book  of  Esdras,  and  the  second  book  of  Esdras, 
otherwise  called  Nehemias.  In  the  Geneva 
Bible,  published  in  1560,  they  first  appeared, 
named  as  we  have  them  in  our  Bibles,  the  books 
of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  One  story  is  com- 
menced in  the  book  of  Ezra,  and  completed  ic 
this  book  of  Nehemiah.  The  period  covered  by 

the  two  books  was  about  one  hundred  and  tec 

251 


252      THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH 

years.  Under  Zerubbabel  and  Ezra,  inspired 
and  influenced  by  the  prophesying  of  Haggai 
and  Zechariah,  the  temple  was  rebuilt.  We 
have  the  story  of  the  beginning,  the  delay  and 
the  resumption  of  the  work,  the  whole  period 
covering  about  twenty-one  years.  Then  an  in- 
terval of  sixty  years  was  followed  by  the  ref- 
ormation under  Ezra.  Another  interval  of 
thirteen  years,  and  then  Nehemiah  and  Ezra  to- 
gether built  the  walls.  Yet  another  interval  of 
twelve  years  followed,  of  which  we  have  no  de- 
tails, and  then  Nehemiah  instituted  the  final  ref- 
ormation. The  book  ends  as  incompletely  and 
as  unsatisfactorily  in  some  senses  as  does  the 
book  of  the  Acts.  That  is  not  to  say  that  the 
book  is  incomplete  and  unsatisfactory,  but  just 
when  we  would  like  to  know  a  great  deal  more 
it  ceases.  Enough,  however,  is  chronicled  for 
the  purpose  for  which  the  book  was  written. 

Now  let  us  look  at  the  history  as  seen  in  the 
light  of  the  Divine  economy.  As  history  merely, 
it  is  the  history  of  a  decadent  people,  the  story  of 
a  ruined  economy.  It  is  pitiful  in  the  light  of  the 
former  things ;  their  making ;  that  triumphal 
deliverance,  by  which  they  emerged  from  a 
mob  into  an  organized  people ;  the  conquests 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH       253 

under  Joshua ;  and  the  kingdom  under  David. 
All  that  is  left  is  a  poor  remnant,  paying  tribute ; 
rebuilding  the  temple,  frightened  in  the  midst  of 
t.he  work,  leaving  it  for  long  years,  taking  it  up 
again  and  bringing  it  to  such  completion  that 
the  old  men  wept  as  they  remembered  the 
former  glory ;  passing  away  into  formalism  and 
backsliding,  until  a  new  reformation  called  them 
to  return.  Then  a  long,  long  period  of  silence ; 
presently  Nehemiah  and  the  rebuilding  of  the 
wall,  a  wonderful  piece  of  work  ;  then  a  relapse, 
until  we  see  a  new  reformation  made  necessary 
by  the  fact  that  they  are  failing  to  support  the 
Levites,  are  neglecting  the  Sabbath,  and  are 
not  bringing  tithes  to  the  house  of  God.  It 
is  a  dark  and  sorry  page  of  human  history. 

If,  however,  we  look  at  this  history  as  in  the 
light  of  the  Divine  economy,  there  are  three 
points  of  supreme  interest.  First,  the  People  ; 
secondly,  the  Purpose  ;  and,  finally,  the  Potter. 

Look  first,  then,  at  the  people.  In  the  book 
of  Nehemiah  they  are  seen  without  any  conscious 
national  influence  ;  and  it  is  a  very  interesting 
and  almost  startling  fact  that  in  the  books  of 
Ezra  and  Nehemiah  and  Esther  there  is  no  ref- 
erence at  all  to  any  Messianic  hope.  Through 


254      THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH 

all  the  former  books  there  have  been  references 
Malachi  prophesied  a  century  later  than  Nehe- 
miah,  and  in  his  message  there  is  the  clearest 
Messianic  reference  ;  but  there  is  no  fragment  in 
these  books  to  show  that  these  people  had  any 
Messianic  hope  at  all.  Nehemiah  has  con- 
solidated a  remnant  in  a  city  with  walls.  Long 
centuries  before,  a  man  living  in  a  city  was  dis- 
contented with  it,  having  had  a  vision  of  the 
City  of  God.  He  turned  his  back  upon  Ur  of 
the  Chaldees,  because  it  was  a  city  of  men,  with 
all  the  characteristics  of  cities  which  men  build, 
and  set  himself  out  upon  a  pilgrimage  to  find  the 
City  of  God.  The  centuries  have  run  their 
course,  and,  in  the  last  piece  of  inspired  history, 
the  people  coming  from  his  loins,  having  been 
governed  by  God,  guided  by  God,  and  guarded 
by  God,  are  seen  in  a  city.  Is  that  Abraham's 
hope  ?  Is  that  the  ultimate  ? 

When  they  began  to  rebuild  the  temple,  in 
order  to  inspire  them,  Haggai  and  Zechariah 
prophesied,  and  one  of  the  visions  of  the 
prophecy  of  Zechariah  had  reference  to  a  city. 
A  young  man  is  seen  going  to  measure  the  city 
in  ruins,  and  he  is  warned  that  he  cannot 
measure  the  ultimate  city  which  will  be  without 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH      255 

walls,  not  needing  material  defense,  too  large 
to  be  enclosed  within  walls.  Now  I  see  the 
city  with  the  walls  completed,  a  great  victory 
for  the  time  being,  for  the  shutting  out  of 
certain  enemies,  and  the  creation  of  a  sense  of 
citizenship  and  nationality  in  the  hearts  of  this 
poor  remnant  of  people.  That  is  the  last  pic- 
ture. Yet  though  Nehemiah  has  built  walls  to 
exclude  enemies,  the  worst  enemies  cannot  be 
excluded.  They  are  still  inside.  Somewhere 
between  fifty  and  one  hundred  years  later 
Malachi  came,  and  we  read  his  prophecy  to 
know  the  things  inside  the  walls,  the  evil,  fail- 
ure and  disaster  that  Nehemiah  could  not  ex- 
clude. 

Thus,  with  all  the  background  in  long  per- 
spective, of  victory  after  victory,  deliverance 
after  deliverance,  glory  after  glory,  we  see  this 
city  that  Nehemiah  flings  the  wall  around.  It 
is  so  poor  a  city  that  one  of  his  enemies  laughed 
at  his  walls,  and  said  a  fox  could  break  through 
them. 

Now  what  does  all  this  mean  ?  In  the  letter 
to  the  Hebrews  we  find  the  answer.  "That 
which  is  becoming  old  and  waxeth  aged  is 
nigh  unto  vanishing  away."  The  writer  of  the 


256      THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH 

letter  was  quoting  the  prophecy  of  Jeremiah, 
the  predictions  of  which  are  so  closely  associated 
with  the  period  at  which  we  are  looking,  al- 
though he  prophesied  at  least  one  hundred  and 
thirty  years  before  Nehemiah.  Jeremiah  had 
declared  that  in  seventy  years  there  should  be 
restoration.  At  the  end  of  the  seventy  years, 
Zerubbabel  and  Joshua  led  back  the  remnant. 
In  the  midst  of  the  prophecy  of  Jeremiah  there 
are  grouped  the  prophecies  of  hope,  in  which 
he  declared  that  at  last  there  should  be  a  new 
covenant,  not  external,  but  internal,  written  upon 
the  heart.  The  writer  of  the  letter  quoted  that 
prophecy,  and  then  proceeded  to  show  why 
there  was  need  for  a  new  covenant,  "  That  which 
is  becoming  old  and  waxeth  aged  is  nigh  unto 
vanishing  away."  That  is  the  picture  that  the 
book  of  Nehemiah  gives  of  the  people  in  the 
economy  of  God. 

Now  let  us  turn  to  the  purpose  of  God  in 
this  period  of  Nehemiah.  The  central  section 
of  the  book  tells  the  story  of  the  reading  of  the 
law.  Following  the  reading  of  the  law,  the 
great  prayer  of  the  Levites.  Following  the 
prayer  of  the  Levites,  the  covenant  made  with 
the  remnant.  Malachi,  from  fifty  to  a  hundred 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH       257 

years  afterwards,  uttered  the  last  injunction  to 
these  people,  before  the  coming  of  John  the 
Baptist  and  Christ:  "Remember  ye  the  law  of 
Moses  My  servant,  which  I  commanded  unto 
him  in  Horeb  for  all  Israel,  even  statutes  and 
judgments."  The  last  injunction  of  the  last 
prophet  spoken  to  these  people,  spoken  to  the 
very  conditions  described  in  the  book  of  Nehe- 
miah,  was :  "  Remember  ye  the  law."  Once 
again  I  turn  to  my  New  Testament,  and,  in 
Paul's  Galatian  letter,  read  :  "  Before  faith  came, 
we  were  kept  in  ward  under  the  law,  shut  up 
unto  the  faith  which  should  afterwards  be  re- 
vealed. So  that  the  law  hath  been  our  tutor  to 
bring  us  unto  Christ,  that  we  might  be  justified 
by  faith."  That  is  the  key  to  the  history  which 
begins  with  the  reading  of  the  law  under  Nehe- 
miah.  That  is  what  the  law  was  doing  in 
Nehemiah's  day,  and  continued  to  do  for  four 
hundred  years.  "  The  law  hath  been  our  tutor." 
Tutor  is  a  better  word  than  schoolmaster,  but 
it  is  faulty.  We  have  taken  the  Greek  word 
and  Anglicized  it,  and  we  speak  of  a  pedagogue 
and  pedagogy  ;  but  the  pedagogue  was  not  the 
teacher  in  Greece,  and  the  law  was  not  a  teacher 
in  Judaism.  The  pedagogue  was  the  man  who 


258       THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH 

saw  to  it  that  the  boy  went  to  school,  not  the 
man  who  taught  him.  Paul  used  the  word 
correctly.  He  says  we  were  kept  in  ward  by 
the  law.  He  does  not  say  the  law  is  our  school- 
master or  tutor,  but  the  law  is  our  jailer.  So 
that  we  might  read  "the  law  hath  been  our 
policeman  to  bring  us  unto  Christ."  Policeman 
may  not  be  a  perfect  translation,  but  it  is  far 
nearer  the  thought  than  either  tutor  or  school- 
master. 

Now,  mark  what  was  happening  in  the  city 
under  Nehemiah.  The  civil  reformation  as  a 
secondary  thing  to  that  wonderful  reading  of 
the  law.  These  people  had  utterly  failed,  in 
spite  of  priest  and  prophet.  The  law  was  left, 
and  that  law  was  enunciated  among  the  broken 
remnant,  and  became  their  custodian.  It  held 
them  in  ward,  kept  them  all  the  prisoners  of 
God  through  four  hundred  years,  notwithstand- 
ing their  frivolity  and  triviality.  When  Christ 
came  there  were  no  priests  worthy  the  name ; 
no  king,  save  one  who  paid  tribute,  and  was 
himself  corrupt ;  no  prophet,  save  His  own  im- 
mediate herald  ;  but  the  law  was  there.  The 
Divine  purpose,  as  seen  in  Nehemiah,  was  that 
of  putting  the  people  under  law,  locking  them 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH      259 

up,  until  the  faith  should  come.  That  is  the 
Divine  movement  which  is  manifest  in  this 
book. 

The  last  matter  is  that  of  the  Potter  Himself — 
God — still  at  work  putting  His  hand  upon  His 
people,  making  them  again  in  spite  of  them- 
selves. I  need  not  enlarge  upon  that.  I  should 
feel  that  we  had  disastrously  failed  in  our  at- 
tempt to  glean  the  messages  of  these  books  if 
that  truth  of  the  overruling,  reigning  God  had 
not  been  clearly  seen.  What  I  do  ask  you  to 
notice  is  the  instrument  of  the  Potter.  Nehemiah 
was  not  a  king,  was  not  a  priest,  was  not  a 
prophet.  The  three  great  orders  through  which 
God  had  reigned  and  ruled  are  absent.  They 
have  all  failed.  I  think  it  is  quite  likely  that 
Nehemiah  was  of  the  royal  line  of  David,  but  he 
was  neither  king  nor  prince.  He  was  a  cup- 
bearer at  the  court  of  an  alien.  He  did  not 
reign  over  these  people  as  king.  He  was  not  a 
priest  offering  sacrifices.  He  was  not  a  prophet, 
so  far  as  the  Hebrew  people  were  concerned. 
He  was  a  citizen,  one  of  themselves,  and  withal 
one  into  whose  blood  the  iron  of  the  captivity 
had  entered,  one  into  whose  heart  the  sorrows  of 
bis  people's  failures  had  come.  The  king  had 


26o      THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH 

failed  and  was  set  aside.  The  prophet  I  will  not 
say  had  failed  as  the  king  had  failed,  for  he  had 
delivered  his  message,  but  it  had  not  been  per- 
suasive. The  priest  was  corrupt,  though  still  in 
the  midst.  Then  God  took  a  common  man,  and 
made  him  neither  king,  nor  priest,  nor  prophet, 
but  a  plain,  blunt  man,  who  went  right  on  and 
flung  up  a  wall  in  seven  weeks,  and  made  a 
chance  for  the  law  to  be  read  and  expounded. 

It  is  evident  that  the  supreme  interest  centres 
in  Nehemiah.  The  nation  had  failed  ;  prophet, 
priest  and  king  had  failed  ;  but  here  was  a  man, 
and  this  man  embodied  the  supreme  principle. 

The  permanent  value  of  the  book  is  its  illus- 
tration of  the  truth,  "  My  righteous  one  shall 
live  by  faith."  That  is  to  return  to  the  book  of 
Joshua,  the  first  in  the  present  series.  Joshua 
was  neither  king  nor  prophet  nor  priest,  and 
the  lesson  of  his  history  is,  "  My  righteous  one 
shall  live  by  faith."  The  last  fragment  of  the 
historic  portion  of  the  Hebrew  Bible  has  that  as 
its  supreme  message  also,  through  Nehemiah. 
but  the  circumstances  are  different.  They  may 
be  described  by  a  quotation  from  Isaiah  :  "  Who 
is  among  you  that  feareth  the  Lord,  that  obeyeth 
the  voice  of  His  servant?  He  that  walketh  in 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH      261 

darkness,  and  hath  no  light,  let  him  trust  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  and  stay  upon  his  God." 

Nehemiah  is  a  most  radiant  revelation  of  the 
fulfillment  of  that  charge.  Nehemiah  feared  the 
Lord,  obeyed  the  voice  of  His  servant,  walked 
in  circumstances  of  darkness  where  there  was  no 
light,  yet  trusted  in  the  name  of  Jehovah,  and 
stayed  upon  his  God.  That  is  to  say,  "  My 
righteous  one  shall  live  by  faith."  In  one  man 
the  great  principle  is  revealed.  Notice,  then, 
in  the  midst  of  circumstances  of  darkness  the 
attitude  of  faith,  the  activity  of  faith,  and  the 
achievement  of  faith. 

The  attitude  of  faith  was  that  of  perfect  confi- 
dence in  God.  From  first  to  last  Nehemiah's 
faith  in  God  never  wavered.  It  was,  moreover, 
that  of  concern  about  the  purpose  of  God.  Hear 
these  brief  words,  "  I  asked  .  .  .  concerning 
the  Jews  and  Jerusalem."  Hear  these  briefer 
words,  "  I  sat  down  and  wept."  Finally,  it  was 
that  of  cooperation  with  God.  That  is  clearly 
revealed  in  our  next  consideration. 

The  activity  of  faith  as  illustrated  in  the  case 
of  Nehemiah  was,  first,  that  of  extreme  caution. 
He  went  up  alone.  He  did  not  tell  any  one 
what  he  was  doing,  but  went  silently  round  to 


262      THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH 

see  where  the  wall  needed  the  most  attention, 
and  in  order  to  obtain  at  first  hand  all  the  facts 
of  the  case.  Then  when  he  did  declare  himself 
and  began  his  building,  with  fine  discriminative 
caution,  he  divided  the  work  among  the  people, 
so  that  every  man  built  over  against  his  own 
house.  After  caution,  courage.  A  single-handed 
start  to  build  a  ruined  wall  and  restore  a  lost 
order,  and  invincible  determination.  The  book 
thrills  and  throbs  and  pulsates  with  the  tre- 
mendous force  of  this  man's  will.  Caution  and 
courage.  The  two  things  we  revealed  together  in 
one  brief  statement.  Caution,  "  I  consulted  with 
myself."  Courage,  "  I  contended  with  the  nobles." 
In  the  activity  of  faith  as  here  illustrated  there 
was  not  only  caution  and  courage,  but  no  com- 
promise. No  compromise  with  the  foes  with- 
out. The  story  of  the  opposition  against  Nehe- 
miah  from  without  can  be  told  in  three  words : 
Contempt,  Conspiracy,  Cunning.  They  spoke 
of  his  work  with  contempt.  He  declared,  in  re- 
ply, that  the  work  would  be  done,  but  they  would 
not  be  allowed  to  help.  Then  they  tried  to 
hinder  him  by  conspiracy,  but  he  proved  himself 
to  be  a  man  of  keen  eyes  I  Finally,  they  tried 
to  catch  him  with  cunning,  and  he  replied  with 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH       263 

fine  satire,  I  am  doing  a  great  work.  Why 
should  I  come  down  to  you  ?  No  compromise 
with  foes  within.  He  found  foes  within,  for  the 
nobles  were  exacting  usury  from  the  poorer 
people.  It  was  then  he  said,  "  I  consulted  with 
myself,"  and  "  I  contended  with  the  nobles." 
There  came  an  hour  when  a  priest  allowed  the 
enemy  lodging  room  in  the  temple,  and  Nehe- 
miah  flung  his  furniture  out,  and  he  "  contended 
with  them,  and  cursed  them,  and  plucked  off 
their  hair."  No  compromise.  That  is  the  final 
fact  in  faith's  activity. 

And  once  more,  a  glance  at  faith's  achieve- 
ment. The  wall  was  built  in  seven  weeks.  He 
gathered  his  people,  and  if  some  of  them  were 
loath  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem  because  of  the  diffi- 
culty he  compelled  them  ;  others  he  scattered 
through  the  towns  and  villages.  Then  followed 
the  greatest  achievement,  the  exposition  of  the 
law. 

In  the  last  analysis,  Nehemiah's  achievement 
was  that  he  flung  up  a  highway  for  God,  pro- 
vided Him  with  vantage  ground  on  which  to 
stand  and  wait,  until,  to  quote  Paul's  great  word, 
"  the  faith,"  should  come.  It  is  a  fine  ending  to 
inspired  history. 


264      THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH 

If  that  be  the  permanent  value,  the  living  mes- 
sage is  stated  in  two  quotations  I  have  already 
made :  "  My  righteous  one  shall  live  by  faith," 
and  "  Who  is  among  you  that  feareth  the  Lord, 
that  obeyeth  the  voice  of  His  servant?  He  that 
walketh  in  darkness,  and  hath  no  light,  let  him 
trust  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  and  stay  upon  his 
God."  The  book  of  Nehemiah  brings  this  mes- 
sage to  every  period  of  darkness.  I  will  not  stay 
to  apply  it  to  personal  life,  but  to  larger  life.  Is 
this  an  hour  of  dark  outlook  ?  I  am  afraid  in  all 
honesty  I  must  say  to  you  that  it  does  so  seem 
to  me.  I  could  certainly,  so  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned, take  the  prophecy  of  Malachi,  and  preach 
it  as  it  stands  to  this  day  and  generation.  I 
think  there  is  a  wonderful  and  almost  tragic  sim- 
ilarity between  the  last  condition  of  the  Hebrew 
people  and  the  hour  in  which  we  live.  All  about 
us  are  indifferent  multitudes.  Far  more  wide- 
spread than  some  of  us  think,  is  incipient,  and 
sometimes  open  disloyalty  to  the  Truth  of  God. 
On  the  other  hand,  there  is  a  lack  of  enthusiasm 
about  the  things  of  Christ — languishing  foreign 
Missionary  Societies.  It  is  not  my  ordinary  cus- 
tom to  speak  thus  of  the  age.  I  do  it  now  to  re- 
veal why  I  do  not  very  often  do  it.  The  true  at- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NEHEMIAH       265 

titude  of  faith,  in  any  hour  of  darkness,  hour  of 
peril,  such  as  I  believe  we  are  in  at  the  present 
moment,  is,  first,  that  it  is  sure  of  God.  It  has 
no  hopeless  dirge  to  chant  upon  the  sunless  air. 
In  the  second  place,  faith  acts  with  God,  and  for 
God,  in  strenuous  endeavour.  The  man  who 
nurses  his  orthodoxy,  and  does  nothing  for  God, 
is  a  liar  and  a  hypocrite.  If  you  believe  in  evan- 
gelical faith,  you  are  out  upon  the  evangelistic 
path ;  whether  it  be  at  home  or  abroad  mat- 
ters nothing.  The  man  who  is  evangelical 
believes  in  the  doctrines  of  sin  and  grace,  be- 
lieves that  men  will  be  lost,  and  lost  irrevocably 
unless  saved  through  the  Cross.  If  we  believe 
these  things  we  must  put  blood  and  sweat  into 
the  business  of  saving  men.  Faith  is  first  sure 
of  God.  It  then  acts  with  God  and  for  God. 
Finally,  it  declines  all  compromise  with  foes  out- 
side or  inside.  Faith  trusts  God  as  Nehemiah 
did,  does  its  own  day's  work,  and  leaves  all  the 
future  to  Him.  In  the  presence  of  this  study,  I 
have  only  one  thing  to  say :  "  Lord,  I  believe, 
help  Thou  mine  unbelief." 


THE   MESSAGE  OF   ESTHER 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUE 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


God  acting  in  Providence. 

L  The  Method 

L  Hidden  but  Active. 

a.  Ruling  to  Issues,     (x.  3.) 

b.  Using  the  Trivialities. 

I  i.  Before  the  Peril. 
\  2.  In  the  midst  of  the  Peril, 
ii.  Inclusive.     An  all- pervading  Atmosphere. 

a.  The  Individuals. 

b.  The  Events. 

II.  The  Principles 
i.  Perfect  Knowledge, 
ii.  Undeviating  Righteousness, 
iii.  Absolute  Power. 

III.  The  Issues 

i.  To  those  recognizing.  Confidence  and  Courage. 
ii.  To  those  in  Rebellion.     Panic  and  Punishment. 
iii.  Historic.  Progress. 


1.  The  Truth 

i.  God  is. 

ii.  God  acts  in  Providence, 
iii.  God  is  touching  Life  at 
every  Point. 


II.  The  Application 

i.  Reckon  with  Him. 
ii.  Trust  Him. 
iii.  Act  with  Him. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER 

THE  events  recorded  in  the  book  of 
Esther  took  place  in  the  sixty  years  be- 
tween the  work  of  Zerubbabel  and  that 
of  Ezra,  of  which  we  have  no  account  save  that 
thus  supplied.  We  can  only  speculate  as  to  the 
condition  of  affairs  in  Jerusalem.  The  reforma- 
tion under  Ezra,  particulars  of  which  are  given 
in  the  second  part  of  the  book  bearing  his  name, 
show  how  far  the  people  had  wandered  from  al- 
legiance to  Jehovah  in  that  period.  During 
those  years  there  was  no  king,  and  no  prophet 

The  story  told  in  Esther,  however,  has  nothing 
to  do  with  Jerusalem,  or  with  those  who  had  re- 
turned there  under  Zerubbabel  and  Joshua,  but 
with  those  who  had  refused  to  return.  The 
name  Mordecai  occurs  in  the  lists  given  in  the 
book  of  Ezra,  but  it  is  not  possible  that  this 
should  be  the  man  bearing  that  name  whose 
story  is  told  in  the  present  book 

Among   the    great   visions  of  Zechariah,  the 

first  was  that  of  the  myrtle  trees  in  the  shady 

267 


268          THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER 

place.  It  symbolized  the  condition  into  which 
the  chosen  people  were  about  to  come.  Israel  in 
the  period  of  her  degeneracy  was  foreshadowed 
in  that  first  vision  of  Zechariah.  Believing  that 
Israel  is  still  there,  I  nevertheless  quite  clearly 
see  that  the  description  was  partially  fulfilled  in 
that  period  of  sixty  years.  The  symbolism  of 
the  myrtle  tree  in  Scripture  is  a  very  interesting 
one.  Isaiah  was  the  first  one  who  made  use  of 
it  The  probability  is  that  the  tree  had  never 
been  grown  in  Palestine  until  it  was  brought 
from  Babylon.  Then  Isaiah  seized  upon  it  as 
symbolic  of  the  nation.  No  longer  the  tall 
cedar,  but  the  myrtle,  with  its  beautiful  star-like 
flower.  It  is  an  interesting  thing,  though  I  do 
not  desire  to  base  anything  like  a  dogmatic  inter- 
pretation upon  it,  that  Esther's  original  name 
was  Hadassah,  which  means  myrtle,  while  Esther 
is  a  Persian  name  which  means  "  star,"  suggest- 
ive of  the  form  of  flower  that  the  myrtle  tree 
bears.  The  beautiful  daughter  of  the  Hebrew 
race  at  the  court  of  a  Persian  king,  born  in  cap- 
tivity, was  called  Myrtle.  In  all  likelihood  her 
father  named  her  Hadassah,  because  the  myrtle 
tree  had  become  the  sign  and  symbol  of  the  race. 
The  Persians  called  her  Star,  to  indicate  that  she 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER          269 

was  the  flower  of  the  myrtle  tree,  full  of  beauty, 
full  of  grace. 

There  are  peculiarities  in  this  story  which  have 
raised  doubts  as  to  whether  it  ought  to  have  any 
place  in  the  canon  of  Scripture.  The  name  of 
God  is  never  mentioned.  There  is  found  no  ref- 
erence to  the  Hebrew  religion.  The  temple 
never  appears.  No  ceremonial  of  the  Hebrew 
worship  is  referred  to.  No  requirement  of  the 
law  is  named  from  beginning  to  end.  There  is 
one  reference  to  Jerusalem  in  the  second  chapter 
and  sixth  verse.  That  merely  accounts  for 
Mordecai,  and  shows  whence  these  people  had 
come.  There  is  one  reference  to  a  fast,  and  one 
to  a  feast,  showing  that  the  religious  habit  of  the 
Hebrews  obtained  among  the  Jews,  but  nothing 
else  from  beginning  to  end.  Perhaps  the  book 
is  a  fragment  of  profane  history  captured  for 
sacred  purposes  ;  perchance  copied  bodily  from 
Persian  history  and  incorporated  in  the  ancient 
Hebrew  Scriptures.  While  there  is  no  name  of 
God,  and  no  reference  to  the  Hebrew  religion 
anywhere,  no  one  reads  this  book  without  being 
conscious  of  God.  Its  permanent  value  is  that  it 
is  a  revelation  of  God  acting  in  providence. 

Now   providence    is    a    sadly    abused   word. 


270          THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER 

Christian  people  talk  about  providence,  and 
special  providences,  in  a  way  that  reveals  lamen- 
table ignorance.  The  root  meaning  of  provi- 
dence is  foresight ;  and  the  acquired  meaning  is 
activity  resulting  from  foresight.  In  Hamlet, 
when  the  King  is  discussing  the  madness  of 
Hamlet,  he  says, 

"  Alas,  how  shall  this  bloody  deed  be  answered  ? 
It  will  be  laid  to  us,  whose  providence 
Should  have  kept  short,  restrained,  and  out  of  haunt, 
This  mad  young  man." 

There  the  meaning  of  the  word  is  revealed, 
"whose  providence,"  that  is  our  foresight,  and 
the  activity  resulting  from  foresight,  ought  to 
have  restrained  this  mad  young  man.  If  provi- 
dence radically  means  foresight,  and  by  usage 
the  activity  resulting  from  foresight,  it  is  evident 
that  providence  can  never  perfectly  be  postulated 
of  man,  but  only  of  God.  Man  has  no  foresight 
No  man  knows  what  a  day  will  bring  forth. 
God  alone  foresees,  and  He  alone  is  able  to  act 
upon  the  basis  of  foreknowledge.  In  the  intro- 
ductory section  of  "  Paradise  Lost,"  when  Milton 
is  writing  the  great  argument,  and  is  attempting 
to  prepare  his  own  soul  for  the  tremendous  task 
he  has  set  himself,  he  says : 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER          271 

"  What  in  me  is  dark 
Illumine,  what  is  low  raise  and  support, 
That  to  the  height  of  this  great  argument 
I  may  assert  eternal  providence, 
And  justify  the  ways  of  God  to  men." 


That  is  a  profound  use  of  the  word  providence. 
The  doctrine  of  Divine  providence  is  that  God 
both  possesses  and  exercises  absolute  power  over 
all  the  works  of  His  hands.  If  I  want  the  supreme 
Bible  passage  on  providence,  I  find  it  in  the 
eleventh  Psalm.  The  advice  given  to  David  was, 
Flee,  man,  flee  as  a  bird  to  the  mountains,  the 
wicked  are  bending  their  bow,  men  are  against 
thee,  the  foundations  are  destroyed,  and  when 
the  foundations  are  destroyed,  what  can  the 
righteous  man  do?  To  which  he  replied,  Why 
do  you  tell  me  to  flee  ?  The  foundations  are  not 
destroyed.  The  Lord  is  in  His  temple,  His  eyes 
behold,  His  eyelids  try  the  children  of  men.  He 
will  try  the  righteous  and  He  will  rain  brimstone 
upon  the  wicked.  In  effect  he  said,  The  things 
you  call  foundations  are  scaffolding.  The  foun- 
dation has  never  been  moved.  I  am  not  going 
to  run  away.  I  believe  in  the  Divine  providence. 
Esther  is  the  book  of  pictures,  and  the  teach- 
ing of  pictures  is  that  of  the  Divine  providence. 


272          THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER 

God  amid  the  shadows,  but  at  work.  God  hid- 
den, unrecognized  by  the  vast  majority,  un- 
detected, but  at  work.  The  book  then  reveals 
the  method  of  Divine  providence,  the  principles 
of  Divine  providence,  and  some  of  the  issues  of 
Divine  providence. 

The  book  reveals  first,  the  method  of  provi- 
dence. It  shows  that  God  hidden  is  still  active, 
and  that  His  activity  is  always  the  ruling  event 
towards  an  issue.  At  the  end  of  the  book 
of  Esther,  these  words  are  written,  "  Mordecai, 
the  Jew,  was  next  unto  the  King  Ahasuerus, 
and  great  among  the  Jews,  and  accepted  of  the 
multitude  of  his  brethren ;  seeking  the  good  of 
his  people,  and  speaking  peace  to  all  his  seed." 
That  is  not  the  final  issue,  but  the  issue  so  far  as 
these  pictures  are  concerned.  Notice  carefully 
the  contrast  of  that  condition  of  affairs,  with  the 
condition  obtaining  when  the  book  opens.  Then 
the  head  man  at  the  court  of  Ahasuerus  was 
Haman,  and  in  the  heart  of  Haman  there  was 
enmity  against  Mordecai,  and  against  the  Jews  ; 
so  that  the  whole  of  these  people  were  in  peril. 
At  the  end  of  the  book,  the  man  in  authority  is 
Mordecai,  and  he  is  seeking  the  good  of  his  peo- 
ple, and  speaking  peace  to  his  seed.  Between 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER          273 

the  opening  peril,  incipient  if  not  manifest,  and 
the  closing  safety,  clearly  manifest,  you  have  all 
the  story  of  the  book,  and  it  is  the  story  of  "  God 
within  the  shadow  keeping  watch  above  His 
own  "  ;  preventing  and  providing  ;  taking  care  of 
His  people ;  watching  over  them  ;  moving  quietly 
and  surely  on,  until  the  peril  is  past  and  the  peo- 
ple are  brought  to  the  place  of  safety  and  peace. 
Now  notice  the  method  of  His  activity  while 
hidden.  He  is  seen  using  trivialities.  Before 
the  peril  becomes  imminent,  while  it  is  still  in- 
cipient in  the  heart  of  Haman,  the  king's  ca- 
rousal issues  in  the  removal  of  Vashti,  and  the 
introduction  of  Esther.  Here  we  need  to  make 
a  careful  discrimination.  God  did  not  make 
Ahasuerus  drunk,  and  God  did  not  put  into  his 
heart  the  unholy  desire  that  Vashti  should  be 
presented  to  his  drunken  lords  ;  but  God  is  in 
the  shadow  while  Ahasuerus  and  his  crowd  of 
lords  indulge  in  their  carousal,  while  Vashti  de- 
clines to  yield  to  the  whim  of  the  king ;  and  He 
uses  Esther  for  the  deliverance.  A  little  while 
later,  the  peril  is  not  merely  incipient,  it  is  im- 
minent. Then  the  sleepless  king  is  God's 
method.  The  king  could  not  sleep,  and  when 
he  could  not  sleep,  he  commanded  that  the  rec- 


274          THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER 

ords  should  be  brought  and  read  to  him,  and 
when  they  were  read  in  the  loneliness  of  the 
night,  an  entry  was  found  of  a  service  which  one 
Mordecai  had  rendered,  which  the  king  had  for- 
gotten, and  he  asked  about  him,  and  took 
counsel  with  Haman  as  to  what  should  be  done 
to  any  man  whom  the  king  delighted  to  honour. 
Almost  immediately  Mordecai,  who  had  been  in 
a  place  of  peril,  was  raised  to  a  place  of  power, 
infidelity  will  say  it  happened  that  the  king 
could  not  sleep,  and  it  happened  that  he  had  the 
records  read  to  him,  and  it  happened  that  Mor- 
decai's  name  was  discovered  in  the  reading. 
Far  simpler  is  the  explanation,  "Standeth  God 
within  the  shadow,  keeping  watch  above  His 
own."  There  was  a  day  when  the  Hebrew 
Psalmist  said,  "Thou  holdest  mine  eyes  waking." 
He  charged  his  sleeplessness  upon  God,  and  per- 
haps he  was  right.  What  is  certain  is  that 
through  the  sleeplessness  of  the  king  God 
moved  for  the  safety  of  His  people. 

Once  again  the  method  of  the  Divine  provi- 
dence is  all-inclusive.  God  is  an  all-pervading 
atmosphere.  There  is  no  individual  presented 
but  that  lives,  moves,  and  has  being  in  God 
Ahasuerus,  Vashti,  Mordecai,  Esther,  and  Ha- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER          275 

man  are  all  in  this  atmosphere.  The  Divine 
presence  enwrapping  all  their  being,  they  are 
compelled  to  work  out  into  manifestation  the 
deep  facts  of  their  inward  life ;  and  all  the  while 
they  are  compelled  as  they  work  these  things 
out  into  manifestation  to  cooperate  in  the  Divine 
purpose  and  Divine  intention,  as  it  works  care- 
fully for  the  preservation  of  His  people,  and 
quietly  forward  to  yet  larger  issues.  Not  indi- 
viduals only  are  in  this  all-pervading  atmos- 
phere, but  events  also  ;  royal  carousals  and  ban- 
quets, royal  proclamations ;  the  small  family 
interests  in  the  life  of  Mordecai  and  Esther ;  per- 
sonal ambitions,  such  as  that  of  Haman ;  all 
these  things  are  seen  in  this  Divine  atmosphere, 
in  one  case  scorching,  blasting,  destruction  ;  and 
in  another  healing,  helping,  deliverance.  The 
principles,  as  well  as  the  method  of  the  Divine 
providence,  are  clearly  revealed.  God  proceeds 
upon  the  basis  of  perfect  knowledge.  "  His  eyes 
behold.  .  .  .  His  eyelids  try."  The  Hebrew 
Psalms  are  pictorial.  God  is  spoken  of  under 
the  figure  of  a  man,  "  His  eyes  behold."  That 
is  the  idea  of  intense  looking.  "  His  eyelids  try." 
That  is  the  idea  of  close  scrutiny  and  penetra- 
tion, determination  to  see  everything.  That  is 


276          THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER 

the   first   principle   of  providence.     It  is  based 
upon  intimate,  accurate,  absolute  knowledge. 

The  second  principle  is  that  of  the  undevi- 
ating  righteousness  of  God.  First,  loyalty  to 
man's  free  will.  One  of  the  supreme  values  of 
this  book  is  that  the  name  of  God  is  left  out  of 
it,  although  He  is  close  at  hand.  Ahasuerus 
sent  out  his  invitations  and  entertained  the  aris- 
tocracy of  the  nation  for  one  hundred  and  eighty 
days,  and  the  democracy  for  seven  days,  which 
is  about  the  usual  proportion.  He  did  just  as 
he  liked  about  it.  He  was  not  compelled  to  do 
this,  that,  or  the  other.  Haman  entered  into  all 
his  own  intrigues,  made  his  own  arrangements, 
built  his  own  gallows.  No  one  compelled  Ha- 
man to  build  the  gallows ;  he  wrought  out  of  his 
own  free  will.  Mordecai  did  his  own  piece  of 
political  manceuvering  when  he  placed  Esther  in 
the  Court.  They  all  went  their  own  way,  and 
had  their  own  will.  They  were  left  absolutely  to 
work  out  their  own  purposes.  Yet,  while  they 
were  absolutely  free  to  work  out  their  own  will, 
the  sphere  of  the  operations  of  will  is  God,  and 
they  could  not  escape  Him.  Ahasuerus  got 
drunk  amid  his  lords,  and  followed  out  his 
drunken  mania  to  its  issue,  and  then  at  the  right 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER          277 

moment  the  great  hand  of  God  interfered.  Ha- 
man  built  his  gallows,  but  at  last  God  hung  him 
on  it.  In  this  tremendous  revelation  of  provi- 
dence I  see  the  undeviating  righteousness  of 
God  in  His  loyalty  to  man's  free  will,  and  this 
issues  in  poetic  justice.  All  the  way  through 
the  punishment  fits  the  crime. 

Another  principle  of  providence  revealed  is 
that  of  the  absolute  power  of  God.  Mark  the 
marvel  of  these  revelations  of  the  fact  that 
human  freedom  is  made  contributory  to  Divine 
purpose.  That  is  a  matter  we  can  never  under- 
stand entirely.  Whenever  we  try  to  compress 
the  God  of  the  Bible  into  a  philosophy  we  break 
down  at  that  point.  Nevertheless,  it  is  actually, 
simply,  and  entirely  true  to  human  experience. 
It  is  seen  not  only  in  the  book  of  Esther.  It  is 
equally  evident  in  our  own  lives.  We  look 
back.  We  have  wrought  out  our  own  will,  yet 
in  the  larger  outlook  we  have  wrought  out  in 
perfect  freedom  of  activity  the  purpose  of  God. 
There  is  no  possibility  of  escape. 

Finally,  look  at  the  issues  of  providence. 
To  those  recognizing  this  providence,  this  over- 
ruling activity  of  God,  there  come  a  great  con- 
fidence and  a  great  courage.  To  those  in 


278          THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER 

rebellion  against  it,  who  do  not  recognize  it 
and  who  deny  it,  there  are  panic  and  punish- 
ment 

The  historic  issue  of  providence  is  the  prog- 
ress of  God  towards  the  ultimate  goal.  Of  this 
the  book  of  Esther  is  but  one  illustration  in  the 
midst  of  others.  All  the  way  through  the  Bible 
we  see  the  same  mighty,  sure,  onward  move- 
ment. 

If  this  book  of  Esther  illustrates — I  have 
tried  to  use  that  word  carefully,  I  do  not  say 
it  declares  it  as  a  theory  but  it  illustrates — the 
providence  of  God,  what  is  its  living  message  ? 
First,  it  is  the  illustration  of  a  truth,  demanding 
an  application.  The  truth  is  that  of  the  exist- 
ence of  God.  There  are  many  arguments  for 
the  existence  of  God,  but  the  argument  of 
providence  is  not  the  least  weighty.  I  know 
it  is  the  fashion  to-day  in  theological  circles,  and 
in  Christian  evidence  work,  to  say  that  the 
argument  from  design  is  played  out.  It  has 
never  been  answered,  and  when  lifted  on  to  its 
highest  level,  and  the  evidence  of  human  history, 
mental,  moral,  and  spiritual,  is  taken,  one  of  the 
supremest  arguments  for  God  is  the  marvellous 
harmony  of  human  events.  Things  that  seem 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER          279 

to  be  far  apart  and  even  contradictory  as  we 
watch  them,  are  yet  seen  to  contribute  to  the 
same  onward  movement,  to  the  reaching  of  the 
same  great  goal.  I  say  that  the  supreme  mes- 
sage of  this  book  is  that  God  is,  and  that  God 
acts.  I  have  more  than  once  quoted  a  couplet 
from  James  Russell  Lowell.  Let  me  now  quote 
two  verses  out  of  the  poem  in  the  midst  of  which 
the  couplet  occurs : 

"  Careless  seems  the  great  Avenger;  history's  pages  but 

record 
One  death-grapple  in  the  darkness  'twixt  old  systems 

and  the  word ; 
Truth  forever  on  the  scaffold,  Wrong  forever  on  the 

throne  — 
Yet  that  scaffold  sways  the  future  and,  behind  the  dim 

unknown, 
Standeth  God  within  the  shadow,  keeping  watch  above 

His  own. 

•'  We  see  dimly  in  the  present  what  is  small  and  what  is 

great, 
Slow  of  faith  how  weak  an  arm  may  turn  the  iron  helm 

of  fate, 

But  the  soul  is  still  oracular ;  amid  the  market's  din, 
List  the  ominous  stern  whisper  from  the  Delphic  cave 

within  — 

1  They  enslave  their  children's  children  who  make  com- 
promise with  sin.'  " 


280          THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER 

That  final  word  of  these  two  verses  is  based 
upon  Lowell's  tremendous  conviction  that  God 
stands  "  within  the  shadow,  keeping  watch 
above  His  own."  He  stands  there  to-day  just 
as  much  as  He  did  in  the  olden  days.  The 
Court  of  Ahasuerus  characterized  by  ostentation 
and  voluptuousness  was  in  the  atmosphere  of 
God.  So  is  every  Court  in  Europe  and  the 
world  to-day.  While  men  drink  and  forget 
Him,  like  an  all-pervasive  atmosphere  He  is 
moulding,  governing ;  burning  or  healing ;  sav- 
ing or  damning ;  according  to  what  man  is,  in 
his  attitude  towards  Him.  "Who  among  us 
can  dwell  amid  the  everlasting  burnings  ?  "  was 
the  great  question  of  Isaiah,  and  it  was  a  recog- 
nition of  the  fiery  presence  of  God  from  which 
men  cannot  escape,  and  of  the  activity  of  God 
in  every  human  life.  Let  us  make  this  personal, 
pertinent,  immediate — no  man  escapes  God  for 
half  an  hour.  We  can  change  our  destiny,  but 
we  cannot  escape  God.  We  may  make  God  a 
blasting  force,  or  a  healing  one,  according  to 
our  attitude  towards  Him.  That  is  providence. 
Providence  is  not  a  sweet  sensational  method, 
by  which  God  juggles  to  take  care  of  a  few 
eccentric  people.  That  is  what  I  meant  at  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER          281 

beginning  by  saying  that  providence  is  God's 
foresight  and  God's  activity  based  upon  His 
foresight.  We  are  all  hemmed  in  by  it  "  In 
whom  we  live  and  move  and  have  our  being." 
That  is  providence.  "  The  God  in  whose  hand 
thy  breath  is,  and  whose  are  all  thy  ways,  hast 
thou  not  glorified."  That  is  providence.  I 
cannot  escape  His  influence.  He  is  touching 
my  life  at  every  point. 

The  application  of  a  story  like  this  is  not 
declared  in  its  words,  not  even  enunciated,  but 
it  glows  in  letters  of  flaming  fire  upon  all  the 
pages  of  the  book.  Reckon  with  God.  Trust 
in  God.  Cooperate  with  God. 

Reckon  with  God.  I  put  it  so.  You  re- 
member the  Authorized  Version  read  as  a  man 
"thinketh  within  himself,  so  is  he."  The  Re- 
vised Version  renders,  as  a  man  "reckoneth 
within  himself,  so  is  he."  At  first  it  seems  a 
little  disappointing,  but  weigh  it  out  and  think 
out  the  enormous  force  of  it,  as  a  man  "  reckon- 
eth within  himself,  so  is  he."  Reckon  with 
God ;  take  Him  into  account,  is  the  message 
of  the  book  of  Esther  to  the  court  of  the  king, 
to  the  palaces  of  the  nobles,  to  the  assemblies 
<*i  the  people,  to  the  rulers,  to  the  nation.  That 


282          THE  MESSAGE  OF  ESTHER 

is  the  message  of  Esther  to  every  man  and 
woman.  Reckon  with  God,  for  He  stands 
within  the  shadow  and  no  man  can  miss  His 
fire  or  escape  His  hand.  When  you  have  de- 
cided to  reckon  with  Him,  know  this,  that  as 
Cowper  declared : 

"  Behind  a  frowning  providence 
He  hides  a  smiling  face." 

At  the  back  of  all  is  the  infinite  love. 

Then  trust  Him,  and  trusting  Him  act  with 
Him,  and  so  demonstrate  at  last  the  truth  of 
the  supremest  word  about  providence  in  the 
New  Testament,  "  To  them  that  love  God  all 
things  work  together  for  good." 


OLD  TESTAMENT 

BOOK  TWO 
CONTENTS 

THE  MESSAGE  OP- 
JOB 9 

PSALTER      ......  27 

PROVERBS    ......  41 

ECCLESIASTES 57 

SONG  OF  SONGS        ....  73 

ISAIAH 89 

JEREMIAH 109 

EZEKIEL       ..*...  127 
DANIEL                        .        .       .        .145 


6  CONTENTS 

THE  MESSAGE  OF— 

HOSEA .165 

JOEL 181 

AMOS     .......     197 

OBADIAH     .        .        ;        .        .        .213 

JONAH 227 

MICAH 243 

NAHUM ;    257 

HABAKKUK 273 

ZEPHANIAH         .......    289 

HAGGAI 303 

ZECHARIAH 317 

MALACHI     .        .  .        .        .335 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUE 


B 

THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


A.  Revelation  of  Experience  in  fallen  Human  Nature. 
L  The  Central  Figure,  Job 

1L  The  Central  Pact,  Job  Stripped 

L  Of  Wealth. 
ii.  Of  Children, 
iii.  Of  Health, 
iv.  Of  the  Partner  of  his  Love  in  Faith. 

v.  Of  his  Friends. 

vi.  Of  the  Sense  of  the  Greatness  of  Personality, 
vii.  Of  the  Sense  of  Relation  to  Deity, 
riii.  Of  the  Sense  of  the  Government  of  God  over 
Good  and  Evil. 

III.  The  Central  Value,  Job's  Consciousness 
i.  The  Need.     ix.  2,  3,  32,  33. 
ii.  The  Enquiry,     xiv.  14,  15. 
iii.  The  Cry.     xvi.  19-21. 
iv.  The  Confidence,     xix.  25-273.. 
T.  The  Quest,     xxiii.  3-9. 
vi.  The  Challenge,     xxxi.  35-37. 
vii.  The  Awakening,     xl.  4,  5. 
viii.  The  Attitude,     xlii.  1-6. 


I.  Fallen  Humanity's  Need 

i.  Intermediation, 
ii.  Light  on  Immortality, 
iii.  An  Advocate  in  God. 
iv.  A  Vindicator. 
v.  A  Judge, 
vi.  An  Indictment, 
vii.  A  true  Sense  of  Self, 
viii.  A  Vision  producing  Re- 
pentance. 

II.  The  Answers  of  Jesus 
f  Meets  the  Need. 

He-J  Answers  the  Enquirer. 
I  Fulfills  the  Meaning. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB 

IN  order  to  make  a  discovery  of  the  perma- 
nent value  and  the  living  message  of  the 
book  of  Job,  it  is  preeminently  necessary 
that  we  should  breathe  its  atmosphere,  the  quali- 
ties of  which  may  perhaps  be  expressed  by  three 
words — sin,  sorrow,  silence. 

It  is  not  a  book  of  solutions;  it  is  rather  a 
revelation  of  human  experience.  The  central 
figure  is  Job.  The  central  fact  of  the  history  is 
that  of  his  being  deprived  of  everything.  The 
central  value  is  the  revelation  of  his  experiences 
resulting  from  the  process. 

Job  is  not  an  ideal  man.  He  is  real.  The  cir- 
cumstances in  the  midst  of  which  we  find  him  are 
not  perfect  circumstances.  They  are  the  ordinary 
circumstances  of  human  life,  those  of  sin,  of  sor- 
row, and  of  silence.  The  experiences,  then,  are 
those  of  a  real  man,  in  such  circumstances  as 
we  are  all  familiar  with  in  greater  or  less  degree. 

In  our  attempt  to  discover  the  living  message 
of  the  book  we  shall  first  observe  the  process  of 

9 


io  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB 

the  stripping  of  this  man  to  the  nakedness  of  his 
spiritual  being.  Secondly,  we  shall  examine  the 
central  words  that  he  uttered  as  expressive  of 
his  experiences.  Finally  we  shall  show  that  the 
only  answers  to  Job  are  given  by  Jesus. 

First,  then,  let  us  recall  the  process  of  the  strip- 
ping of  this  man  to  the  nakedness  of  his  spiritual 
being.  Gradually  he  was  divested  of  all  the 
things  that  clothe  the  spirit  of  a  man ;  or  to 
change  the  figure,  all  the  things  upon  which  a 
man  leans  for  help  and  strength  were  removed, 
until  we  have  the  tremendous  and  awful  spec- 
tacle of  a  soul  naked  and  alone  in  the  universe 
of  God.  First  he  lost  his  wealth.  In  a  few  brief 
hours,  or  days  at  the  most,  he  passed  from  wealth 
to  poverty,  from  plenty  to  penury.  All  the  mate- 
rial things  upon  which  he  had  leaned  were  swept 
away.  The  second  stage  in  the  stripping  was 
that  of  the  loss  of  his  children.  Then  he  lost  his 
health.  After  that  he  lost  the  partnership  of 
love  in  the  exercise  of  faith.  Out  of  love  for 
him,  and  in  order  to  make  a  way  of  escape  out 
of  the  tragedy  of  his  pain,  his  wife  said,  "  Re- 
nounce God  and  die."  There  had  existed  the 
partnership  of  faith  between  husband  and  wife, 
but  that  ended,  and  Job  was  left  to  an  awful 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB  u 

loneliness.  The  next  event  in  the  stripping  was 
that  of  the  loss  of  his  friends.  His  acquaintances 
had  already  departed  with  the  loss  of  his  prop- 
erty. Eliphaz,  Bildad,  and  Zophar  proved  the 
sincerity  of  their  friendship  first,  by  the  fact  that 
they  came  to  see  him  in  his  sorrow ;  secondly, 
by  the  fact  that  they  remained  in  silent  sym- 
pathy with  him  for  seven  days ;  and  thirdly,  be- 
cause when  they  spoke,  they  said  everything 
directly  to  him.  He  lost  the  comfort  of  their 
friendship,  however,  because  they  misunderstood 
him,  and  imputed  to  him  sins  of  which  he  would 
not  confess  himself  guilty. 

But  we  must  look  a  little  more  closely  for  the 
discovery  of  the  last  movements  in  the  process 
of  stripping.  At  the  end  of  the  first  and  second 
stages,  when  he  had  lost  his  wealth  and  his 
children,  he  said,  "  Naked  came  I  out  of  my 
mother's  womb,  and  naked  shall  I  return  thither." 
Notice  very  carefully  the  majesty  of  that  declar- 
ation. Even  though  he  had  lost  wealth,  ac- 
quaintances, and  children,  he  had  not  yet  lost 
the  sense  of  the  dignity  and  greatness  of  his 
own  personality.  He  still  recognized  that  he 
was  more  than  all  he  possessed.  When  his 
friends  arrived,  he  poured  out  in  their  listening 


12  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB 

ears  all  the  lamentation  of  his  soul.  As  I  read 
that  lamentation  I  find  that  this  sense  of  the 
greatness  of  personality  was  weakened  by  the 
overwhelming  agony  of  the  suffering  through 
which  he  had  passed.  It  is  evident  that  he  was 
beginning  to  doubt  the  dignity  of  his  own  being, 
and  when  a  little  later  we  come  to  his  reply  to 
the  first  address  of  Eliphaz,  not  only  is  that  sense 
of  the  greatness  of  personality  weakened,  it  is 
lost.  He  cursed  the  day  he  was  born,  and  cried 
out  for  the  darkness  and  desolation  of  the  grave, 
preferring  death  to  life,  wishing  that  he  could 
cease  to  be. 

The  stripping  was  not  yet  over.  Bereft  of  his 
children  he  had  said,  "  The  Lord  gave,  and  the 
Lord  hath  taken  away ;  blessed  be  the  name  of 
the  Lord."  That  was  a  declaration  resulting 
from  a  sense  of  his  relationship  to  Deity.  In 
his  lamentation  that  also  was  weakened,  and  by 
the  time  we  come  to  his  answer  to  Eliphaz,  he 
cried  out  to  God,  "  Why  hast  Thou  set  me  as  a 
mark  for  Thee  ?  "  He  had  lost  his  sense  of  re- 
lationship to  Deity  as  a  gracious  relationship. 

Yet  one  step  further.  After  the  loss  of  health, 
and  the  partnership  of  love  in  faith,  he  said, 
"  Shall  we  receive  good  at  the  hand  of  God,  and 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB  13 

shall  we  not  receive  evil?"  In  that  question 
there  is  manifest  a  conviction  of  the  government 
of  God  over  good  and  evil.  When  we  come  to 
his  answer  to  Eliphaz,  all  the  questions  he  asked 
show  that  he  doubted,  if  not  the  fact  of  God's 
government,  certainly  the  justice  of  it  He  had 
lost  his  final  anchorage. 

Thus  we  see  him,  stripped  of  wealth ;  ac- 
quaintances ;  children ;  health ;  the  partnership 
of  love  in  faith ;  friends ;  his  sense  of  the  great- 
ness of  his  own  personality ;  his  sense  of  intimate 
relationship  to  God ;  and  his  sense  of  the  gov- 
ernment of  God  over  good  and  evil.  All  the 
things  that  men  lean  upon  are  gone.  We  now 
stand  watching  the  naked  spirit  of  the  man. 
What  was  left  to  him  ?  God  was  left,  and  Job 
never  denied  Him.  Self  was  left,  and  he  could 
not  escape.  Between  God  and  himself  there 
seemed  to  be  no  place  of  meeting,  no  reconcili- 
ation. God  and  self  were  absolute  certainties, 
but  he  was  in  circumstances  so  full  of  agony, 
that  there  seemed  to  be  no  place  of  rest,  and  no 
possibility  of  relief. 

In  the  course  of  his  controversy  with  his 
friends,  he  occasionally  uttered  cries  out  of  the 
v«rv  depths  of  his  experience.  Intensely  inter- 


I4  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB 

esting  are  his  answers  to  his  friends,  full  of  satire 
and  thunder  and  tremendous  invective  poured 
upon  the  men  who  were  misinterpreting  him. 
Notwithstanding  this  the  speeches  of  Job  are 
finally  not  so  much  an  answer  to  these  men,  as 
the  wail  of  his  own  soul ;  and  the  deepest  things 
of  all  were  spoken  to  the  God  he  could  not  find, 
of  the  self  that  he  could  not  understand,  out  of 
the  midst  of  anguish  and  conflict  which  had  no 
explanation.  Let  us  attempt  to  gather  up  these 
profoundest  utterances. 

I  find  the  first  in  the  ninth  chapter.  The 
words  were  spoken  in  the  course  of  an  answer  to 
Bildad. 


"  How  can  man  be  just  with  God  ? 
If  He  be  pleased  to  contend  with  him, 
He  cannot  answer  Him  one  of  a  thousand     .     . 
For  He  is  not  a  man,  as  I  am,  that  I  should 

answer  Him, 

That  we  should  come  together  in  judgment. 
There  is  no  daysman  betwixt  us, 
That  might  lay  his  hand  upon  us  both." 


That  is  not  an  answer  to  Eliphaz,  Bildad,  or 
Zophar.  It  is  the  cry  of  a  smitten  soul.  "  How 
can  man  be  just  with  God?"  does  not  mean, 
How  can  a  man  be  justified  by  God  ?  but  rather, 
How  can  a  man  argue  his  case  with  God,  how 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB  15 

can  a  man  contend  with  God?  There  is  still 
manifest  his  conviction  of  the  existence  of  God, 
and  his  certainty  of  himself,  but  he  enquires, 
How  am  I  to  find  my  way  to  God  ?  And  if  He 
asks  me  questions,  How  am  I  to  answer  Him 
one  of  a  thousand  ?  Then  he  exclaims  in  com- 
plaint, 

"There  is  no  daysman  betwixt  us, 
That  might  lay  his  hand  upon  us  both." 

Said  this  man  in  effect,  If  I  should  find  my  way 
to  God,  I  could  not  argue  with  Him.  Oh,  that 
there  were  some  one  in  the  universe  who  could 
bring  us  together ;  who  could  put  his  hand  on 
God,  and  on  me ;  who  could  represent  God  to 
me,  and  me  to  God. 

The  next  word  occurs  in  the  course  of  an 
answer  to  Zophar.  The  opening  words  of  that 
answer  were, 

"  Man  that  is  born  of  a  woman 
Is  of  few  days,  and  full  of  trouble." 

Having  made  this  general  affirmation,  he  con- 
tinued, 

"  For  there  is  hope  of  a  tree,  if  it  be  cut  down,  that  it 

will  sprout  again, 
And  that  the  tender  branch  thereof  will  not  cease. 


16  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB 

Though  the  root  thereof  wax  old  in  the  earth, 

And  the  stock  thereof  die  in  the  ground ; 

Yet  through  the  scent  of  water  it  will  bud, 

And  put  forth  boughs  like  a  plant. 

But  man  dieth,  and  wasteth  away : 

Yea,  man  giveth  up  the  ghost,  and  where  is  he?  " 


That  was  a  wail  of  hopeless  despair,  in  which  he 
declared  that  a  tree  has  a  better  chance  than  a 
man.  But  continuing  he  exclaimed, 


"  If  a  man  die,  shall  he  live  again  ? 
All  the  days  of  my  warfare  would  I  wait, 
Till  my  release  should  come. 
Thou  shouldest  call,  and  I  would  answer  Thee : 
Thou   wouldest  have  a  desire  to  the  work  of  Thine 
hands." 


That  is  as  though  Job  had  said,  If  I  could  but 
believe  that  a  man  could  live  again,  I  would  bear 
all  the  conflict  and  would  wait.  This  was  hardly 
the  expression  of  a  hope ;  it  was  only  a  sigh.  Yet 
there  was  in  it  a  gleam  of  light  in  the  midst  of 
the  terrible  darkness.  He  could  not  find  a  days- 
man able  to  put  his  hand  on  God  and  on  himself. 
He  declared  there  was  nothing  for  him  but  death. 
A  tree  had  a  chance,  but  a  man  had  not.  Sud- 
denly there  flamed  across  his  spirit  a  wonder,  an 
enquiry,  which  came  out  of  his  essential  nature. 
It  was  an  affirmation  of  his  consciousness  of  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB  17 

need  for  more  time  and  space  for  the  realization 
of  life  than  life  itself  seemed  to  afford. 
A  little  later  he  exclaimed, 

"  O  earth,  cover  not  thou  my  blood, 
And  let  my  cry  have  no  resting  place. 
Even  now,  behold,  my  witness  is  in  heaven, 
And  He  that  voucheth  for  me  is  on  high. 
My  friends  scorn  me  ; 
But  mine  eye  poureth  out  tears  unto  God ; 
That  He  would  maintain  the  right  of  a  man  with  God, 
And  of  a  son  of  man  with  his  neighbour  1 " 

Notice  carefully  the  marvel  of  this  word.  Job 
was  passing  into  deeper  darkness,  and  yet  sud- 
denly uttered  this  most  remarkable  word.  It  was 
the  cry  of  his  spirit ;  it  was  prayer.  It  revealed  a 
profound  conviction. 

"  Even  now,  behold,  my  witness  is  in  heaven, 
And  He  that  voucheth  for  me  is  on  high." 

This  was  an  affirmation  of  his  belief  in  the  exist- 
ence of  God,  and  of  the  fact  that  He  was  in 
heaven,  on  high,  that  is,  enthroned.  He  believed 
in  God,  but  thought  of  Him  as  at  a  distance. 
Upon  the  basis  of  this  conviction  he  expressed 
his  desire  that  God  would  maintain  the  right  of 
a  man  with  God,  and  a  son  of  man  with  his 
neighbour.  He  had  said  but  a  little  while  before, 
There  is  no  daysman  who  can  put  his  hand  upon 


18  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB 

God  and  upon  me.  Now  he  declared  that  ab- 
solutely the  only  way  for  his  case  to  be  argued 
with  God  would  be  for  God  to  argue  it  with  Him- 
self, "  That  He  would  maintain  the  right  of  a  man 
with  God."  The  passionate  cry  of  his  spirit  was 
that  God  would  become  an  Advocate  with  Him- 
self on  behalf  of  a  man  who  had  lost  everything, 
and  was  conscious  of  his  need. 

A  step  further,  and  he  uttered  even  more  re- 
markable words. 

"  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth, 
And  that  He  shall  stand  up  at  the  last  upon  the  earth : 
And  after  my  skin  hath  been  thus  destroyed, 
Yet  from  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God  : 
Whom  I  shall  see  for  myself." 

I  would  change  the  word  "  Redeemer  "  here  to 
Vindicator ;  not  that  Redeemer  is  wrong  but  that 
our  use  of  it  does  not  accurately  convey  the 
thought  of  the  Hebrew  word,  Goel.  The  busi- 
ness of  the  Goel  was  always  that  of  vindication, 
when  the  one  to  be  vindicated  was  unable  to 
vindicate  himself.  The  vindication  might  be  by 
ransom  or  revenge. 

Now  said  Job,  "  I  know  that  my  Goel  liveth," 
that  is  my  present  conviction ;  "  and  that  He 
shall  stand  up  at  the  last " — not,  in  the  latter  day, 
but  at  the  end  of  this  conflict  This  was  the 


.THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB  19 

language  of  the  court  of  justice.  Job  was  making 
appeal  for  vindication,  and  affirmed  his  conviction 
that  his  Vindicator  would  stand  up  at  the  end 
upon  the  dust,  that  is,  as  a  prevailing  Advocate. 
On  the  basis  of  this  conviction  he  declared, 

"  And  after  my  skin  hath  been  thus  destroyed, 
Yet  from  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God." 

A  question  arises  here  as  to  whether  "  from"  in 
this  sentence  means,  in  my  flesh,  or,  apart  from 
my  flesh.  It  certainly  may  mean  either.  Dr. 
Davidson  gives  an  illustration  from  King  Lear, 
When  one  of  his  daughters  said  that  it  was  neces- 
sary for  her  to  write  a  letter  "  from  my  home," 
the  context  shows  that  she  meant  when  she  was 
away  from  home.  He  holds  therefore  that  Job 
meant,  When  I  have  done  with  my  flesh,  I  shall 
see  God  in  my  spiritual  life.  I  do  not  so  under- 
stand it.  Whereas  the  context  in  King  Lear  may 
demonstrate  the  fact  that  by  "  from  my  home  " 
his  daughter  meant  when  she  was  away  from 
home,  the  phrase  itself  might  certainly  have 
meant  that  she  wrote  when  she  was  at  home  ; 
and  I  personally  believe  that  Job  used  the  word 
in  this  sense.  It  was  a  tremendous  affirmation 
coming"  up  out  of  his  spiritual  nature,  that  even 


20  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB 

though  his  flesh  seemed  to  be  in  process  of  de- 
struction, yet  from  it,  that  is  as  still  being  in  it,  he 
would  see  God.  It  is  quite  true  that  he  immedi- 
ately added,  "  My  reins  are  consumed  within 
me,"  thus  revealing  the  fact  that  he  passed  again 
into  consciousness  of  the  darkness  about  him. 
Nevertheless  the  affirmation  was  in  itself  a  flash 
of  light  out  of  his  essential  spiritual  nature.  I  do 
not  suggest  that  Job  could  have  interpreted  it  in 
the  full  evangelical  sense  in  which  we  understand 
it  to-day. 

Still  later  he  cried, 

"  Oh,  that  I  knew  where  I  might  find  Him, 
That  1  might  come  even  to  His  seat ! 
I  would  order  my  cause  before  Him, 
And  fill  my  mouth  with  arguments." 

When  he  said  this,  his  confidence  was  overshad- 
owed ;  he  was  again  in  the  region  of  despair ;  he 
declared  the  hopelessness  of  the  search  ;  and  yet 
faith  in  God  was  tenacious,  and  he  longed  to  find 
Him,  and  stand  before  His  judgment  seat 
Yet  again  he  cried, 

"  Oh,  that  I  had  one  to  hear  me  ! 
(Lo,  here  is  my  signature,  let  the  Almighty  answer  me ;) 
And  that  I  had  the  indictment  which  mine  adversary 
hath  written  1 " 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB  21 

The  word  "  adversary "  here  was  a  legal  term, 
indicating  an  opponent  in  the  case  to  be  tried. 
He  thus  challenged  God  to  indict  him,  and  in 
pride  declared  that  if  such  an  indictment  were 
written  he  would  carry  it  upon  his  shoulders,  and 
bind  it  unto  him  as  a  crown,  going  as  a  prince 
into  the  presence  of  God. 

Then  followed  a  long  period  of  silence  so  far 
as  Job  was  concerned.  Elihu  spoke,  but  Job  did 
not  answer  him.  Suddenly,  in  the  process  of  the 
speech  of  Elihu,  Jehovah  spoke.  God  challenged 
him  to  attend,  and  then  made  pass  before  him 
visions  of  His  power  in  the  material  universe,  in 
His  dealings  with  animate  and  inanimate  crea- 
tion. In  answer  to  this  theophany  occurred  the 
next  word  of  Job, 

"Behold,  I  am  of  small  account; 
what  shall  I  answer  Thee  ? 
I  lay  mine  hand  upon  my  mouth. 
Once  have  I  spoken,  and  I  will  not  answer  j 
Yea  twice,  but  I  will  proceed  no  further." 

These  words  were  the  outcome  of  the  awakening 
of  his  naked  spirit  to  the  sense  of  the  power  of 
God.  God  had  said  no  word  to  him  about  sin. 
God  had  uttered  not  a  sentence  about  his  sor- 
row. He  had  not  spoken  a  sentence  in  explana- 


22  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB 

tion  of  the  mysteries  that  had  enshrouded  him. 
Rather  He  made  His  glory  pass  before  him,  He 
put  the  universe  in  relationship  to  Himself,  and 
made  Job  spectator.  Job  answered  the  unveiling 
by  exclaiming,  I  am  nothing.  The  word  "  vile  "  in 
our  present  use  of  it  is  a  palpable  mistranslation. 
Job  meant,  I  do  not  count,  I  have  been  answer- 
ing and  arguing,  I  will  say  no  more. 

Then  there  was  a  second  unveiling  of  Jehovah, 
in  which  with  great  tenderness  and  gentle  satire 
He  challenged  Job  to  take  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment in  the  universe,  giving  two  illustrations  of 
His  purpose  and  power,  those  namely  of  be- 
hemoth and  leviathan.  Then  Job  exclaimed,  "  I 
abhor  myself,  and  repent" 

Let  us  group  these  words.  We  see  this  man 
stripped  of  everything,  but  left  with  the  certain- 
ties of  God,  himself,  and  conflict.  Out  of  these 
circumstances  of  intense  and  utter  spiritual  lone- 
liness he  asked  for  a  daysman,  for  intermediation 
between  himself  and  God ;  suggested  the  ulti- 
mate problem,  "  If  a  man  die,  shall  he  live 
again  ? "  ;  uttered  a  prayer  to  God  that  He 
would  argue  with  Himself  about  a  man ;  then 
broke  out  into  a  great  expression  of  confidence 
from  the  depths  of  his  nature,  "  I  know  that  my 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB  23 

Vindicator  liveth."  This  was  almost  immedi- 
ately forgotten,  and  he  proceeded  in  his  quest, 
"  Oh,  that  I  knew  where  I  might  find  Him."  He 
challenged  God  to  come  out  of  hiding,  and  to 
write  his  indictment.  Then  suddenly  he  was 
brought  into  a  sense  of  the  presence  of  God  in 
the  universe,  and  said,  "  I  am  of  small  account," 
I  will  say  no  more.  At  last,  without  a  word 
about  sin  or  salvation,  'but  only  as  the  result  of 
the  unveiling  of  the  power  and  glory  of  God,  he 
abased  himself  and  said,  "  I  repent." 

Have  these  cries  of  a  human  spirit  ever  been 
answered  ?  The  question  is  important,  for  if  it 
were  possible  for  us  to  pass  into  similar  circum- 
stances, these  are  the  things  we  should  say. 
When  all  the  things  upon  which  men  depend  are 
taken  away,  these  are  the  essential  cries  of  hu- 
manity in  its  alienation  and  distance  from  God. 
First  there  is  the  need  of  a  daysman  who  can  put 
his  hand  on  God  and  on  man.  That  Daysman 
has  appeared,  and  we  have  felt  the  touch  of  his 
hand.  "If  a  man  die,  shall  he  live  again?" 
That  is  the  surging,  agonized  cry  of  this  mate- 
rialized age.  We  treat  it  often  with  shocking 
flippancy,  but  this  is  only  an  attempt  to  hide  the 
agony.  We  have  the  answer,  He  hath  "  brought 


24  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB 

life  and  incorruption  to  light  through  the 
Gospel."  Job  said,  Would  that  God  would 
argue  my  case  with  Himself.  Jesus  came  to 
declare  that  God  has  argued  with  Himself  the 
case  of  man.  Then  in  beautiful  sequence  comes 
the  affirmation,  "  I  know  that  my  Redeemer 
liveth."  We  take  up  Job's  language  with  fuller, 
richer  meaning.  Job  demanded  that  he  should 
find  his  way  to  God  as  Judge.  God  hath  ap- 
pointed One  Who  shall  judge  the  world,  and 
every  man  can  come  to  that  Throne,  and  argue 
his  case  in  the  presence  of  Christ.  Job  asked 
that  his  indictment  might  be  written.  That  is  a 
most  popular  challenge  to-day.  Men  are  every- 
where asking  that  God  will  write  their  indict- 
ment, and  prove  them  sinners.  The  answer  of 
God  to  that  challenge  is  to  be  found  in  the  reve- 
lation of  His  law  in  the  ethic  of  Jesus.  In  the 
presence  of  the  revealed  glory  of  God,  Job  ex- 
claimed, "  I  am  of  small  account."  The  answer 
of  Jesus  to  that  consciousness  is  that  He  first 
agrees  therewith,  and  demands  that  man  shall 
deny  himself  in  order  to  find  himself.  He  then 
declares  that  no  man  is  of  small  account,  but  in 
the  estimate  of  God  he  is  worth  the  stoop  and 
suffering  and  dying  to  save  him.  Finally  Job 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOB  25 

said,  "  I  repent  in  dust  and  ashes."  Jesus  gives 
repentance  unto  life,  and  lifts  out  of  the  dust  and 
ashes  into  the  dignity  and  glory  of  partnership 
with  Himself. 

In  Job  we  see  a  soul  stripped  naked  ;  and  hear 
the  language  of  challenge,  of  need,  and  of 
enquiry.  I  turn  to  the  New  Testament  and  I  find 
One  Who  answers  the  challenge,  meets  the  need, 
and  replies  to  the  enquiry. 

Tear  up  your  New  Testament,  and  fling  it  to 
the  winds ;  crucify  the  Christ  of  God,  and  let 
there  be  no  resurrection  ;  and  the  book  of  Job 
still  lives,  the  unanswered  agony  of  a  soul. 

Retain  the  New  Testament,  and  the  agony 
becomes  an  anthem,  and  the  despair  merges  into 
ultimate  victory. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  PSALTER 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


The  Revelations  of  the  Troth  about  Worship 

I.  The  Conception  of  God  producing  Worship 
•ii.      i.     J  a'  Essential  Being. 
i.  Jehovah.  |,    The  becoming  One. 

i    VIM,;         /  a-  Essential  Might. 
li  Elohnn.       ,.  operating  in  Power. 


II.  The  Attitudes  of  Man  in  Worship 

i.  Submission.  Answer  to  Sovereignty,  {obedience' 


1L  Trust    Answer  to  Might. 
iii.  Joy.    Answer  to  Grace. 


f  Honesty. 
\  Courage. 
f  Penitence. 
\  Adoration. 

III.  The  Activities  of  Worship 
i.  God.    Calling  Man  to  worship  by  Revelation. 
ii.  Man.     Approach. 

Laying  bare  of  the  Soul. 
The  Reception  of  Gifts. 
The  Offering  of  Praise, 
tii.  God.    True  and  faithful  Dealing  in  Love. 


The  Message  of  the  Psalter 
Psa.  Ixvi. 

Worship  God 

Know  Him. 

Reckon  with  Him. 

Make  all  Circumstances 
Opportunities  of  Wor- 
ship. 


The   New  Testament 
mary 

Phil.  iv.  4-7. 


Sum* 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  PSALTER 

THE  Psalter  is  a  collection  of  sacred  He- 
brew poems,  intended  for  use  in  wor- 
ship. There  can  be  no  chronological 
arrangement  of  these  psalms.  It  is  perfectly  evi- 
dent, as  Eusebius  long  ago  pointed  out,  that  the 
collection  has  been  carefully  edited,  and  the 
psalms  grouped  on  the  principle  of  affinity. 

The  individual  psalms  are  natural  expressions 
by  many  authors  at  various  times  under  differing 
circumstances  of  their  consciousness  of  God. 
The  message  of  the  book  in  its  entirety  has  to  do 
with  the  subject  of  worship. 

The  Hebrew  word  translated  worship  literally 
means  prostration.  It  is  used  to  indicate  that 
prostration  which  recognizes  the  supremacy  of 
the  One  before  Whom  the  worshipper  bows,  and 
therefore  indicates  the  attitude  of  submission  in 
the  presence  of  supremacy.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
the  word  itself  does  not  often  occur  in  the  Psalter. 
As  indicating  the  attitude  of  man  in  the  presence 

of  God,  it  is  found  fifteen  times  only  in  the  one 

27 


28     THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  PSALTER 

hundred  and  fifty  psalms.  It  occurs  in  other 
places  as  indicating  the  attitude  of  man  in 
the  presence  of  angels,  and  as  indicating  the  at- 
titude of  one  man  in  the  presence  of  another. 

In  the  grouping  of  passages  in  which  the  word 
does  occur  as  setting  forth  the  attitude  of  the  soul 
in  the  presence  of  God,  there  are  certain  matters 
full  of  suggestiveness.  Even  though  it  is  impos- 
sible to  deal  fully  with  each  passage,  seeing  it  in 
its  setting,  and  so  gathering  its  full  significance, 
I  propose  to  read  the  fifteen  passages  in  which 
the  word  occurs. 

"  In  Thy  fear  will  I  worship  towards  Thy  holy  temple." — 

v.  7. 
"  All  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  remember  and  turn  unto 

the  Lord : 
And  all  the  kindreds  of  the  nations  shall  worship  before 

Thee."— xxii.  27. 

"  All  the  fat  ones  of  the  earth  shall  eat  and  worship : 
All  they  that  go  down  to  the  dust  shall  bow  before 

Him." — xxii.  29. 
"  Give  unto  the  Lord  the  glory  due  unto  His  name ; 

Worship  the  Lord  in  the  beauty  of  holiness." — xxix.  a. 
"  He  is  Thy  Lord  ;  and  worship  thou  Him." — xlv.  u. 
"  All  the  earth  shall  worship  Thee, 

And  shall  sing  unto  Thee." — Ixvi.  3. 
"  Yea,  all  kings  shall  fall  down  before  Him : 

All  nations  shall  serve  Him." — Ixxii.  it. 
"  All  nations  whom  Thou  hast  made  shall  come  and  wor- 
ship before  Thee,  O  Lord  ; 
And  they  shall  glorify  Thy  name." — Ixxxvi.  9. 
"  O  come,  let  us  worship  and  bow  down  : 
Let  us  kneel  before  the  Lord  our  Maker." — xcv.  6. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  PSALTER     29 

"  O  worship  the  Lord  in  the  beauty  of  holiness." — xcvi.  9. 
"  Worship  Him,  all  ye  gods." — xcvii.  7. 
"  Exalt  ye  the  Lord  our  God, 

And  worship  at  His  footstool : 

Exalt  ye  the  Lord  our  God, 

And  worship  at  His  holy  hill." — xcix.  5,  9. 
"  We  will  go  into  His  tabernacles : 

We  will  worship  at  His  footstool." — cxxxii.  7. 
"  I  will  worship  towards  Thy  holy  temple." — cxxxviii.  2. 

I  am  perfectly  aware  that  the  reading  of  these 
passages  seems  to  have  very  little  coherence 
or  consistency,  and  very  little  helpfulness.  I  do 
not  suggest  for  a  moment  that  there  is  any  im- 
mediate connection  between  the  passages.  I 
have  merely  selected  them  because  in  them  the 
actual  word  worship  occurs.  There  are,  how- 
ever, two  or  three  deductions  to  be  made,  even 
from  such  simple  reading.  Throughout  the 
whole  of  these  the  worship  referred  to  is  that  of  a 
Person  Who  is  described  sometimes  as  Jehovah, 
sometimes  as  God,  and  sometimes  as  Lord. 

The  worshippers  are  individuals,  kings,  na- 
tions, all  the  earth. 

There  is  a  centre  of  worship,  sometimes  spoken 
of  as  the  temple,  sometimes  as  the  holy  hill. 

Finally  there  are  certain  attitudes  indicated — 
those  of  fear,  of  holiness,  and  of  song.  I  might 
confine  myself  to  that  statement,  and  dwell  upon 
each  of  the  points  as  suggested,  but  I  am  desirous 


30     THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  PSALTER 

of  taking  a  still  wider  outlook  upon  this  wonder- 
ful collection. 

Before  doing  so,  let  me  ask  you  to  remember 
the  marvellously  constant  use  made  of  this  book 
of  psalms  in  the  life  of  faith  for  thousands  of 
years.  I  recently  came  across  this  very  interest- 
ing passage  by  Tholuck.  "What  a  record  it 
would  be  if  one  could  write  it  down — all  the  spir- 
itual experiences,  the  disclosures  of  the  heart,  the 
combats  and  the  conflicts  which  men  in  the  course 
of  the  ages  have  connected  with  the  words  of  the 
psalms.  What  a  history,  if  we  could  discover 
the  place  the  book  has  occupied  in  the  inner  life 
of  the  heroes  of  the  Kingdom  of  God."  It  would 
be  impossible  for  any  one  to  write  such  a  record 
as  Tholuck  there  suggests,  because  the  uses  that 
have  been  made  of  these  psalms  throughout  the 
centuries  have  been  so  varied. 

Now,  why  is  it  that  this  book  has  been  so  per- 
petually used  ?  First,  because  it  is  a  collection 
of  simple,  honest,  human  experiences.  I  very 
much  question  if  there  be  any  circumstance 
possible  to  human  life  but  that  some  psalm 
exactly  expresses  the  experience  thereof.  The 
Psalter  contains  anthems  of  prosperity  and  dirges 
of  adversity.  It  has  major  songs  which  cele- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  PSALTER      31 

brate  holiness,  the  experience  that  comes  when 
men  are  led  to  the  heights  and  live  above  the 
snow  line.  It  has  minor  songs  bewailing  sin,  the 
experience  that  comes  when  men  have  wilfully, 
persistently  sinned  and  sunk  to  the  depths. 
Songs  of  hope,  the  experience  when,  in  circum- 
stances of  difficulty,  gleams  of  the  coming  day 
are  seen  upon  the  distant  horizon.  Songs  of  de- 
spair, the  experience  in  hours  of  darkness,  when 
there  seems  to  be  no  glimmer  of  light.  I  repeat, 
it  is  impossible  to  think  of  any  human  circum- 
stances which  do  not  find  expression  in  this 
book. 

But  a  mere  collection  of  expressions  of  human 
experiences  would  hardly  be  worth  while,  for  the 
profounder  an  experience  is,  the  more  capable  is 
a  man  of  expressing  it.  Perhaps  the  first  im- 
pression made  by  that  statement  is  one  of  doubt. 
Think  of  it.  It  is  in  the  moment  of  profound 
experience  that  a  man  speaks  freely.  "Out  of 
the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh," 
not  out  of  its  emptiness  !  Whether  it  be  of  wis- 
dom or  of  folly,  of  sin  or  of  triumph,  it  is  in  the 
moment  when  the  heart  is  fullest  that  man  speaks 
most  easily.  It  is  quite  true  that  he  will  often, 
under  such  circumstances,  say  things  that  he 


32     THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  PSALTER 

will  wish  he  had  not  said,  but  he  speaks  freeiy. 
There  was  a  day  when  King  Saul  told  the  abso- 
lute truth  about  himself,  "I  have  played  the 
fool ! "  No  one  could  have  persuaded  him  to 
say  that  in  the  day  when  experience  was  super- 
ficial ;  but  when  he  was  in  the  depths,  the  con- 
sciousness of  all  his  unutterable  folly  broke  upon 
him,  and  he  uttered  all  the  truth.  I  repeat,  there- 
fore, that  a  man  does  not  want  another  to  write 
for  him  expressions  of  experience.  We  have  not 
touched  the  deepest  fact  in  the  book  of  psalms 
when  we  say  that  it  is  intensely  human.  The 
deepest  thing  is  that  it  is  a  collection  of  songs  in 
which  human  experiences  are  brought  into  the 
presence  of  God.  They  show  how  man  feels 
and  thinks  and  speaks  and  acts  when  he  is  con- 
scious of  God.  That  is  why  the  psalms  live 
to-day. 

The  permanent  values  of  the  Psalter,  then,  are 
its  revelations  of  truth  about  worship.  First  it 
reveals  the  conception  of  God  that  produces 
worship  ;  secondly,  it  reveals  the  attitude  of  man 
in  worship ;  and  finally,  it  reveals  the  activities 
of  worship,  initially  on  the  part  of  God,  respon- 
sively  on  the  part  of  man,  and  finally  on  the 
part  of  God. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  PSALTER      33 

The  Psalter  reveals  the  conception  of  God, 
which  produces  worship.  This  conception  is 
manifest  in  the  names  by  which  He  is  referred 
to.  Of  these  the  three  that  stand  out  supremely 
are  Jehovah,  Elohim  and  Adonahy.  These  re- 
veal a  conception  of  God  which,  wherever  held, 
compels  worship.  The  name  Jehovah  stands  for- 
evermore  as  suggestive  of  the  essential  Being  of 
God,  and  of  the  fact  that  He  becomes  in  grace 
all  that  His  people  need.  That  name  occurs 
more  often  than  any  other.  All  these  singers, 
through  different  times  and  climes  and  circum- 
stances, of  different  temperaments,  worshipped 
in  the  presence  of  Jehovah.  The  first  thought  is 
that  of  His  essential  Being.  It  is  never  ques- 
tioned, never  argued,  but  taken  for  granted. 

Perhaps  the  chief  exposition  of  the  fact  that 
He  is,  and  of  what  He  is,  is  found  in  the  one 
hundred  and  thirty-ninth  psalm,  with  its  stu- 
pendous setting  forth  of  the  fact  of  the  existence 
of  God,  and  of  all  that  fact  connotes  of  His  pres- 
ence and  knowledge,  and  of  the  impossibility  of 
human  escape  therefrom. 

If  I  were  asked  which  of  the  psalms  most  per- 
fectly sets  forth  the  fact  that  God  is  the  becoming 
One,  I  should  answer  the  twenty-third,  which 


34     THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  PSALTER 

opens  with  the  declaration,  "Jehovah  is  my 
Shepherd,"  and  then  celebrates  His  sufficiency 
for  the  needs  of  man  in  all  the  circumstances  of 
time,  until  in  the  eternal  habitation  the  soul  is 
perfectly  satisfied  in  Him.  The  first  conception 
of  God  suggested  by  the  prevalence  of  the  name 
Jehovah  is  that  of  the  essential  One  Who  be- 
comes what  His  people  need. 

The  second  conception  is  suggested  by  the 
great  name  Elohim,  which  we  translate  God,  that 
intensive  plural  which  does  not  necessarily  sig- 
nify number,  but  something  so  infinite  that  no 
singular  can  express  it.  This  word  suggests  the 
essential  might  of  God  and  the  fact  that  He 
operates  in  power.  His  might  is  not  only  poten- 
tial, it  is  also  kinetic ;  not  merely  might,  but 
might  exercised.  That  is  the  perpetual  reason 
of  awe  in  the  soul  of  man  in  the  presence  of  God. 

Perhaps  psalm  sixty-eight  most  perfectly  sets 
forth  the  essential  might  of  God,  and  psalm  forty- 
six  the  fact  of  its  activity. 

The  third  title  is  not  so  frequently  used,  but 
the  principle  revealed  by  it  is  present  from  first 
to  last.  Adonahy  means  Lord  in  the  simplest 
sense  of  the  word.  It  is  suggestive  of  the  sov- 
ereignty of  God.  This  is  the  abiding  conviction 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  PSALTER      35 

of  all  the  singers.  It  is,  perhaps,  most  perfectly 
set  forth  in  psalm  eighty-six,  in  which  the  first 
word  is  Jehovah,  immediately  followed  by  the 
title  Adonahy,  and  throughout  which  the  soul  is 
prostrate  in  the  presence  of  the  sovereign  God. 

The  threefold  revelation  of  God  is  that  of  His 
essential  Being,  which  becomes  in  grace  what- 
ever man  needs  ;  His  essential  might,  which  oper- 
ates in  power  on  behalf  of  man  ;  and  His  essential 
Lordship,  which  undertakes  the  government  of 
the  affairs  of  man.  That  is  the  conception  of 
God  which  produces  worship.  Wherever  an  in- 
dividual soul,  or  a  king  in  official  capacity,  or  a 
nation  or  kindred  or  race,  or  the  whole  world 
comes  to  that  conception,  the  inevitable  result  is 
worship. 

Pass  now  to  the  second  matter,  that  of  the  at- 
titude of  man  in  worship.  That  attitude  is  three- 
fold— submission,  trust,  joy.  This  threefold  atti- 
tude is  the  answer  to  the  threefold  revelation. 
The  final  revelation  is  that  of  supremacy  sug- 
gested by  the  title  Adonahy.  Submission  is  the 
answer  of  man  to  supremacy.  The  name  Elo- 
him  suggests  the  might  of  God.  Trust  is  the 
answer  of  man  to  God's  might.  The  name  Jeho- 
vah reveals  that  God  becomes  what  His  people 


36     THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  PSALTER 

need,  which  is  but  another  way  to  declare  the 
fact  of  the  grace  of  God.  Joy  is  the  answer  of 
the  soul  to  grace. 

The  notes  of  submission  are  those  of  reverence 
and  obedience ;  reverence  in  the  outward  form, 
and  which  expresses  itself  ultimately  in  obedience, 
is  the  attitude  of  submission.  The  notes  of  trust 
are  honesty  and  courage.  Perfect  honesty  is 
manifest  in  courage,  and  based  on  confidence  in 
God.  That  is  the  attitude  of  trust.  The  notes 
of  joy  are  penitence  and  adoration.  Man 
reaches  the  highest  joy  when  he  finds  the  con- 
trite heart.  It  is  out  of  the  penitent  and  broken 
heart  that  the  sweetest  music  comes,  and  the 
highest  note  in  the  anthem  of  praise  is  reached. 
This  does  not  apply  to  the  songs  of  angels  which 
we  do  not  know,  and  shall  never  sing.  We  shall 
listen  to  them,  but  shall  sing  such  songs  as  angels 
cannot  sing. 

Finally,  as  to  the  activities  of  worship  as  re- 
vealed throughout  the  book  of  psalms.  The  first 
activity  is  not  of  man  but  of  God.  Worship  is 
always  the  outcome  of  something  exterior  to  the 
worshipper.  God  unveiled  Himself  before  those 
singers  of  the  olden  days,  surprising  them  in  the 
day  of  darkness  with  a  great  light,  breaking 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  PSALTER      37 

upon  them  in  the  midst  of  sorrow  with  new 
joy,  as  in  the  case  of  Job,  when  his  heart  was 
broken,  passing  before  him  in  the  splendour  of 
His  glory.  By  such  unveiling  He  compels  wor- 
ship. I  take  the  Psalter,  and  read  it  at  any  point, 
and  discover  something  of  God's  activity,  con- 
straining man  to  worship.  The  first  note  of  a 
psalm  is  that  of  praise.  You  follow  the  singer, 
and  enquire  why  he  sings,  and  the  answer  is 
always  of  something  that  God  is,  that  God  has 
wrought,  of  some  way  in  which  God  has  revealed 
Himself.  The  first  activity  in  worship  is  always 
that  of  God's  self-revelation. 

Then  follow  the  activities  of  man.  In  answer 
to  the  approach  of  God  in  love,  man  lays  bare  his 
soul.  The  thirty-second  psalm  gives  the  story  of 
how  a  man  failed  in  worship,  and  of  how  he  was 
restored  to  worship.  It  opens  with  an  exclama- 
tion, "  Oh,  the  blessedness  of  transgression  for- 
given," and  proceeds  to  declare  that  man  blessed 
in  whose  spirit  there  is  no  guile — that  is,  no  de 
ceit,  no  cloking.  The  psalmist  then  tells  of  dayw 
when  it  was  different 

"  When  I  kept  silence,  ray  bones  waxed  old 
Through  my  roaring  all  the  day  long. 
For  day  and  night  Thy  hand  was  heavy  upon  me : 
My  moisture  was  changed  as  with  the  drought  of  summer." 


38      THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  PSALTER 
Then  he  turned  back  to  God  : — 


11 1  acknowledged  my  sin  unto  Thee,  and  mine  iniquity 
have  I  not  hid." 


That  is  the  soul  baring  itself  in  the  presence  of 
God.  The  song  was  the  outcome  of  the  answer 
of  God.  "  Thou  forgavest  the  iniquity  of  my  sin." 
There  was  no  song  while  he  was  keeping  silence 
in  an  attempt  to  hide  his  sin.  The  activities  of 
man  in  worship  are  the  laying  bare  of  the  soul, 
the  reception  of  gifts,  and  ultimately  the  offering 
of  praise. 

The  final  activity  of  worship  is  that  of  God, 
Who  is  true  and  faithful  in  His  dealing  with  the 
worshipping  soul,  becoming  to  that  soul  what 
ever  is  needed. 

The  supreme  message  of  the  Psalter  is,  Wor. 
ship  God.  Make  all  circumstances  opportunities 
of  worship.  Are  you  in  sorrow?  Worship! 
Are  you  in  joy  ?  Worship !  Are  you  in  dark- 
ness ?  Worship  1  Are  you  in  the  light  ?  Wor- 
ship! 

I  turn  to  my  New  Testament,  and  find  the 
message  of  the  Psalter :  "  Rejoice  in  the  Lord 
alway:  again  I  will  say,  Rejoice."  "In  every- 
thing by  prayer  and  supplication  with  thanks- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  PSALTER      39 

giving  let  your  requests  be  made  known  unto 
God.  And  the  peace  of  God,  which  passeth  all 
understanding,  shall  guard  your  hearts  and  your 
thoughts  in  Christ  Jesus." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 

THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  The  Fundamental  Declaration,  1.  7 

L  The  Presupposition.      God  the  All-wise. 

This  fact  expressed  in  all 

His  Works  and  Ways. 
ii.  The  Deduction.  Man.     Wise. 

II.  The  Argument  in  Illustration 
L  The  Scheme. 

a.  Home.     i.  8,  9. 

b.  Friendships,     i.  10-19. 

c.  The  World  beyond,     i.  20 — ix. 
ii.  Consideration. 

a.  The  First  Sphere.    Home.    Father  and  Mother. 

b.  The  Second  Sphere.    Companions. 

f.  The  Third  Sphere.   The  City  symbolizing  Life. 

1.  The  First  Call.     Warnings.     Promise. 

2.  The  Call  from  Home,  ii.— vii.  "  My  Son." 

3.  The  Second  Call.    viii. 

4.  A  Contrast,    ix. 

HI.  The  Final  Applications 

i.  First  Collection  of  Proverbs.         Statements, 
ii.  Second  Collection  of  Proverbs.     Pictures, 
iii.  Words  of  Agur  and  Oracles  of  Lemuel. 


I.  Precepts 

(iii.  l-io.) 
The  Law  of  Wisdom. 

II.  Practice 

(viii.  32-36.) 
The  Life  of  Wisdom. 

III.  Power 

(James  i.  5.) 
The  Lord  of  Wisdom. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS 

THE  book  of  Proverbs  is  essentially  di- 
dactic, and  consequently  its  content 
constitutes  its  message.  There  are  cer- 
tain peculiarities  about  the  books  of  Job,  Prov- 
erbs, and  Ecclesiastes.  While  it  is  true  that 
the  peculiarly  Hebrew  titles  of  God  are  found  in 
them,  yet  all  the  references  to  the  law  and  ritual, 
the  sacrifices  and  ceremony  with  which  the  other 
Old  Testament  books  abound,  are  absent  from 
these.  While  preeminently  religious,  they  are 
yet  primarily  philosophic.  They  are  the  only 
three  books  of  the  wisdom  literature  of  the 
Hebrew  people  in  the  Bible.  The  meaning  of 
wisdom  as  applied  to  these  writings  is  exactly 
what  is  intended  to-day  by  the  common  use  of 
the  word  philosophy.  That  common  use  is  not 
strictly  warranted  by  the  real  meaning  of  the 
word.  Philosophy  does  not  mean  wisdom,  but  the 
love  of  wisdom.  A  philosopher  is  not  necessarily 
a  wise  man.  He  is  a  lover  of  wisdom — that  is, 
one  seeking  after  wisdom. 


42         THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS 

There  is  a  distinct  difference  between  the 
Hebrew  philosophy  revealed  in  these  books  and 
all  others.  It  starts  with  an  affirmation.  They 
begin  with  a  question.  All  philosophies  other 
than  that  of  the  Hebrew  people  result  from  in- 
vestigation in  order  to  the  answering  of  Pilate's 
question,  "  What  is  truth  ?  "  I  do  not  suggest 
that  that  is  an  improper  method,  but  it  must  be 
recognized  that  the  Hebrew  philosophy  begins 
by  affirming  God.  Hebrew  philosophers  be- 
lieved that  there  could  be  no  discovery  of  ulti- 
mate truth  save  upon  the  basis  of  revelation,  and 
the  revelation  with  which  they  began  was  that  of 
the  existence  of  God. 

The  book  of  Proverbs  is  generally  thought  of 
as  though  it  were  merely  a  collection  of  wise 
sayings,  lacking  anything  like  system  or  order. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  is  no  book  in  the  Old 
Testament  more  systematic  than  this.  A  refer- 
ence to  our  analysis  of  its  content  will  demon- 
strate the  accuracy  of  this  assertion.  The  first 
verse  constitutes  a  title  page,  "  The  proverbs  of 
Solomon  the  son  of  David,  king  of  Israel."  The 
next  six  verses  are  occupied  with  the  preface,  in 
which  the  purpose  of  the  book  and  the  method 
of  the  writer  are  clearly  stated.  The  preface 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS         43 

ends  with  the  fundamental  affirmation  of  the 
Hebrew  philosophy, 

"  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  knowledge  : 
But  the  foolish  despise  wisdom  and  instruction." 

The  book  itself  falls  into  three  parts  ;  first,  a 
series  of  discourses  in  defense  and  application  of 
the  fundamental  affirmation ;  secondly,  a  series 
of  proverbs  collected  and  arranged  by  Solomon 
himself,  and  lastly,  a  posthumous  collection  of 
Solomon's  Proverbs,  made  by  the  men  of  Heze- 
kiah's  day.  All  this  is  followed  by  an  appendix 
containing  the  words  of  Agur  and  the  oracles 
of  Lemuel. 

In  dealing  with  the  permanent  values  of  other 
books,  we  have  been  conscious  of  very  much 
local  colour.  In  this  book  this  is  reduced  almost 
to  the  vanishing  point.  It  is  a  singularly  living 
book.  There  are  great  passages  of  it  which 
may  be  read  in  the  heart  of  any  of  the  great 
cities  of  to-day  with  perfect  application  to  the 
existing  conditions.  Therefore,  whereas  in  deal- 
ing with  other  books  it  has  been  necessary  to 
search  for  the  underlying  principle,  here  that 
principle  is  plainly  stated.  In  other  cases  we 
have  borrowed  from  other  books  some  outstand- 


44         THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS 

ing  statement  of  principle,  in  order  to  see  how 
the  book  under  consideration  illustrated  that 
principle.  In  this  case  we  find  in  the  book  itself 
both  the  statement  of  its  permanent  value,  and 
the  actual  words  of  its  living  message. 

The  two  permanent  values  of  the  book,  there- 
fore, are  its  fundamental  declaration  and  its 
argument  of  illustration. 

The  fundamental  declaration  is  contained  in 
the  seventh  verse  of  the  first  chapter.  The  pre- 
supposition and  consequent  deduction  of  this 
declaration  constitute  the  deepest  note  in  the 
Hebrew  wisdom  or  philosophy.  The  presup- 
position is  that  God  is  all-wise  ;  that  in  the  final 
meaning  of  the  word,  wisdom  can  only  be  postu- 
lated of  God.  This  conception  is  perpetually 
present  in  the  arguments  of  Job,  in  the  remark- 
able and  contrastive  method  of  the  book  of 
Ecclesiastes,  and  in  the  systematic  order  of  the 
book  of  Proverbs.  Moreover,  it  is  taken  for 
granted  and  constantly  insisted  upon  that  the 
wisdom  of  God  expresses  itself  in  all  His  works 
«ind  in  all  His  ways.  The  Hebrew  philosophers 
believed  that  all  natural  phenomena  constituted 
a  revelation  of  the  Divine  Wisdom.  Wherever 
they  looked,  at  the  land  or  the  sea,  at  the  earth 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS         45 

or  the  heavens,  they  saw  God.  That  philosophy 
on  the  human  side  accounted  for  the  magnificent 
declaration  with  which  the  first  book  in  the  Bible 
opens :  "  In  the  beginning  God  created."  So 
they  ever  thought  of  wisdom  as  final  in  God. 

From  this  fundamental  conviction  a  clear  and 
definite  deduction  was  inevitable ;  if  wisdom  is 
perfect  in  God,  wisdom  in  man  consists  in  the 
fear  of  the  Lord.  A  man  is  wise  in  the  measure 
in  which  he  apprehends  and  fears  God.  Fear  in 
the  sense  in  which  it  is  certainly  used  in  this 
fundamental  declaration  does  not  mean  a  cow- 
ardly, servile  dread  which  strives  to  hide  from 
God.  There  are  two  kinds  of  fear  possible  in  re- 
gard to  God.  There  is  the  fear  lest  He  should 
hurt  me.  There  is  the  fear  lest  I  should  hurt  Him. 
The  first  is  selfish,  and  produces  no  fruit  of 
righteousness.  The  last  is  the  fear  of  love, 
which  produces  holiness  of  character  and  right- 
eousness of  conduct.  This  fear  of  the  Lord  is 
emotional  recognition  of  God.  Do  not  let  us  be 
afraid  of  the  word  emotional.  The  emotional 
side  of  man's  nature  is  as  much  a  creation  of 
God  as  is  the  intellectual.  The  emotional  fear 
of  God,  then,  is  the  answer  of  the  soul  in  wonder 
Ja  the  presence  of  infinite  Wisdom.  That  is 


46         THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS 

preceded  by  intellectual  apprehension  of  God, 
and  consummated  in  volitional  submission  to 
His  will. 

These  Hebrew  philosophers  did  not  believe 
that  by  such  intellectual  apprehension,  emotional 
exercise,  and  volitional  submission,  man  achieved 
the  ultimate  Wisdom.  The  declaration  is  rather 
that  in  that  fear,  man  comes  into  the  condition 
for  being  wise.  "  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the 
beginning  of  wisdom."  No  man  can  begin  to  be 
wise  until  his  life  is  in  proper  relation  to  the 
ultimate  Wisdom.  No  man  can  become  wise 
save  as  there  is  in  him  the  fear  of  the  Lord.  It 
is  a  great  word,  mystical  and  philosophical. 
There  is  never  anything  mighty  or  practical  that 
does  not  grow  out  of  the  mystical  and  philosoph- 
ical. It  is  equally  true  that  everything  pro- 
foundly mystical  and  philosophical  issues  in  that 
which  is  mighty  and  practical. 

We  now  turn  to  the  arguments  in  illustration. 
Beginning  with  the  eighth  verse  of  the  first 
chapter,  all  that  remains  of  the  book  is  of  prac- 
tical value  and  of  present  application  as  a  per- 
manent value  and  a  present  message.  There  is 
no  single  proverb  in  either  of  the  two  collections, 
the  antithetical  proverbs  of  the  first,  or  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS         47 

pictorial  proverbs  of  the  second,  which  has  not  a 
present  value  and  a  living  message.  For  the 
purpose  of  this  study  we  shall  confine  ourselves 
to  the  discourses  of  the  first  division  of  the 
book. 

In  these  discourses  the  philosophy  deals  first 
with  the  child,  then  with  the  youth,  and  finally 
with  the  man.  The  whole  world  for  the  child  is 
its  home.  The  first  movement  outward  is  made 
in  the  finding  of  a  friend,  a  companion.  The 
boy  finds  his  chum,  the  girl  another  girl  to  whom 
she  can  tell  her  secrets.  Finally  the  youth  passes 
out  into  the  wonderland  of  the  life  of  the  city. 

The  first  circle  is  that  of  the  home.  There 
wisdom  must  be  learned.  The  next  circle  is  that 
of  friendship,  companionship  formed  outside  the 
home.  There  wisdom  must  be  applied.  Finally 
there  come  "  the  street  .  .  .  the  broad  places 
.  .  .  the  chief  places  of  concourse  .  .  . 
the  entering  in  of  the  gates — the  city."  In  the 
midst  of  the  rush,  and  hurry,  and  hurly-burly  of 
life  wisdom  must  be  obeyed. 

The  fundamental  proposition  is,  "  The  fear  of 
the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom."  In  these 
discourses  that  declaration  is  applied  to  practical 
life.  We  begin  in  the  home. 


48         THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS 

"  My  son,  hear  the  instruction  of  thy  father, 
And  forsake  not  the  law  of  thy  mother : 
For  they  shall  be  a  chaplet  of  grace  unto  thy  head, 
And  chains  about  thy  neck." 

That  is  a  beautiful  picture  of  wisdom — the  fear 
of  the  Lord  taught  to  children  at  home.  The 
subject  of  the  responsibility  of  father  and  mother 
is  not  dealt  with  here,  but  it  is  taken  for  granted, 
and  set  upon  the  highest  plane.  The  children 
are  to  hear  the  instruction  of  their  father,  and 
forsake  not  the  law  of  their  mother,  in  order  that 
they  may  live  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord.  Children 
are  not  able  to  grasp  the  thought  of  the  Infinite. 
For  them  God  is  incarnate  in  father  and  mother. 
That  is  the  meaning  of  fatherhood  and  mother- 
hood. I  say  that  with  all  care.  God  created 
man  in  His  own  image — male  and  female  created 
He  them.  Both  are  needed  to  reveal  God.  Jesus 
expressed  the  fact  of  motherhood  in  God,  when 
He  said  :  "  How  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy 
children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her 
chickens  under  her  wings."  We  need  not  be 
anxious  to  teach  our  children  theology.  Let  us 
live  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  presently,  by  the 
ladder  of  their  perfect  confidence  in  us,  they  will 
climb  to  that  apprehension  of,  and  faith  in  God, 
which  will  be  the  rock  of  their  strength  to  the  end 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS         49 

of  time.    Wisdom  for  children  is  contained  in  the 
instruction  of  father,  and  the  law  of  mother. 

The  day  must  come  when  the  child,  in  the 
realization  of  its  own  life,  moves  out  into  the 
wider  circles  of  experience.  The  command  to 
obey  parents  is  not  of  force  to  the  end  of  life. 
There  are  two  very  distinct  words  in  the  Bible 
about  the  duty  of  children  to  parents.  Obedience 
is  for  the  days  of  childhood.  Honour  is  forever. 
There  will  come  a  day  when  the  child  has  no 
longer  to  obey.  It  must  begin  to  make  its  own 
choices,  guided  at  first  by  parental  council,  but 
ultimately  quite  alone.  When  the  child  enters 
this  second  sphere,  Wisdom  is  particularly  careful 
to  give  instruction  : — 

"  My  son,  if  sinners  entice  thee, 
Consent  thou  not." 

Then  follows  a  list  of  friendships  which  are 
not  to  be  made.  The  principles  may  thus  be 
stated.  Those  who  seek  to  enter  into  com- 
radeship upon  the  basis  of  selfish  interest,  and  by 
unscrupulous  methods,  are  to  be  refused.  All  not 
excluded  by  that  negative  description  are  in- 
cluded. The  glory  and  beauty  of  friendship  is 
recognized  by  the  very  warnings  uttered  against 
those  who  are  not  true  friends.  There  is  no 


50         THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS 

more  important  hour  in  the  life  of  youth  or 
maiden  than  that  in  which  they  begin  to  choose 
their  companions.  If  that  wisdom,  which  begins 
in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  master  the  life,  then  such 
choices  will  be  made  as  will  contribute  to  strength 
of  character. 

At  last  there  comes  the  day  when  the  youth 
passes  out  into  the  street,  the  broad  place,  the 
chief  place  of  concourse,  at  the  gates,  into  the 
city  itself.  To  him 

"  Wisdom  crieth  aloud  in  the  street ; 
She  uttereth  her  voice  in  the  broad  places ; 
She  crieth  in  the  chief  place  of  concourse ; 
At  the  entering  in  of  the  gates, 
In  the  city,  she  uttereth  her  words." 

The  first  word  of  wisdom  to  the  youth  going  out 
from  home,  and  beyond  his  first  circle  of  friend- 
ships, into  the  wide  world  with  its  bustle  and 
turmoil  is  a  word  of  solemn  warning  against  the 
evil  of  the  way  of  those  who  have  no  fear  of  the 
Lord,  who  do  not  live  in  right  relationship  with 
Him,  and  a  word  of  gracious  promise : — 

'  Whoso  hearkeneth  unto  me  shall  dwell  securely, 
And  shall  be  quiet  without  fear  of  evil." 

Wisdom  does  not  call  the  youth  back  from  the 
street  and  the  place  of  concourse,  and  the  crowd* 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS         51 

and  busy  life ;  but  warns  him  of  the  fate  of  those 
who  enter  those  circumstances  in  forgetfulness  of 
God,  and  declares  that  if  he  hearken  to  her,  and 
live  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  he  will  be  quiet  and 
safe,  even  in  the  turmoil  of  the  city. 

If  the  youth  do  not  learn  wisdom  from  father 
and  mother,  how  terrible  the  start  in  the  city  is. 
He  does  not  understand  the  voice  of  wisdom ;  he 
cannot  hear  it.  We  must  teach  our  children  the 
language  of  wisdom  before  they  pass  out  into  the 
hurly-burly  of  life,  or  there  they  may  fail  to  detect 
it  One,  taught  by  father  and  mother,  who  has 
made  his  first  friendships  upon  the  basis  of  that 
instruction,  passing  into  the  city,  hears  and  under- 
stands the  cry  of  wisdom  as  through  the  ruin  and 
failure  she  warns  him,  and  declares  that  he  shall 
be  quiet  and  safe  if  he  will  be  true  to  that  fear  of 
the  Lord  which  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom.  Let 
those  who  live  in  the  villages,  from  which  young 
lives  are  ever  pouring  into  the  cities,  see  to  it  that 
they  are  instructed  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord.  If 
they  come,  having  learned  wisdom  in  the  home, 
and  having  practiced  it  in  the  choosing  of  their 
first  companions,  all  hell  cannot  ruin  them.  I  am 
no  more  afraid  for  the  young  man  who  comes 
into  London  with  the  fear  of  God  in  his  heart. 


52         THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS 

than  I  am  if  he  stays  in  the  village.  When  I  see 
young  people  entering  the  city  from  professing 
Christian  homes,  who  yet  have  never  been  in- 
structed, and  do  not  know  the  secrets  of  strength, 
then  I  tremble. 

Then  follows  a  series  of  discourses,  all  begin- 
ning with  the  words  "  My  son."  These  constitute 
the  voice  of  home  sounding  in  the  soul  of  the 
youth  who  has  departed  into  the  midst  of  life's 
hurry  and  bustle.  The  father  tells  how  his  father 
had  taught  him,  and  how  he  had  been  saved  by 
the  teaching,  and  had  proved  it  true  in  the  self- 
same rush  of  life.  Then  exhortation  follows 
exhortation  against  impurity,  against  indolence, 
against  bad  companionships,  against  adultery. 

Finally,  I  see  the  young  man  not  merely 
facing  the  excitement  of  the  city,  but  climbing 
towards  high  position ;  and  wisdom  comes  to 
him  again  in  the  most  wonderful  appeal  the 
Bible  utters,  except  that  of  the  Voice  which 
speaks  the  very  language  of  humanity  when  at 
last  Wisdom  is  incarnate. 

The  discourses  close  with  a  contrast  most  vivid 
and  most  remarkable.  Wisdom  and  folly  are 
each  personified  as  a  woman  ;  the  first  as  a 
woman  of  virtue  and  beauty  and  glory,  and  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS         53 

second  as  a  woman  of  vice  and  ugliness  and 
shame.  In  that  superlative  contrast  there  is 
figuratively  set  before  young  life  the  value  and 
victory  of  wisdom,  and  the  disaster  and  defeat  of 
folly ;  in  other  words,  the  wisdom  of  the  fear  of 
the  Lord,  and  the  folly  of  forgetfulness  of  God. 

The  living  message  is  to  be  discovered  in  the 
permanent  value.  It  finds  its  complete  expres- 
sion in  words  as  fresh  as  the  day  in  which  we 
live,  though  they  come  to  us  from  the  long  gone 
centuries. 

The  precepts  are  stated  thus  : — 

"  My  son,  forget  not  my  law ; 
But  let  thine  heart  keep  my  commandments  : 
For  length  of  days,  and  years  of  life, 
And  peace,  shall  they  add  to  thee. 
Let  not  mercy  and  truth  forsake  thee  : 
Bind  them  about  thy  neck  ; 
Write  them  upon  the  table  of  thine  heart : 
So  shalt  thou  find  favour  and  good  understanding 
In  the  sight  of  God  and  man." 

The  practice  is  enjoined  thus : 

"  Trust  in  the  Lord  with  all  thine  heart, 
And  lean  not  upon  thine  own  understanding  : 
In  all  thy  ways  acknowledge  Him, 
And  He  shall  direct  thy  paths. 
Be  not  wise  in  thine  own  eyes ; 
Fear  the  Lord,  and  depart  from  evil : 
It  shall  be  health  to  thy  navel, 
And  marrow  to  thy  bones. 


54         THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS 

Honour  the  Lord  with  thy  substance, 
And  with  the  firstfruits  of  all  thine  increase : 
So  shall  thy  barns  be  filled  with  plenty, 
And  thy  fats  shall  overflow  with  new  wine. ' ' 

That  is  not  out  of  date.  I  remember  well  the 
date  when  I  first  left  home  for  school.  The  last 
thing  my  father  said  to  me  was  this :  I  want  to 
give  you  a  motto  for  life.  "In  all  thy  ways 
acknowledge  Him,  And  He  shall  direct  thy 
paths."  One  cannot  give  any  boy  a  better 
motto.  That  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom.  It  is 
the  qualification  for  becoming  wise.  A  man  in 
right  relationship  to  God  holds  the  key  of  all 
secrets. 

I  turn  to  the  New  Testament  for  the  final 
words  :  "  If  any  of  you  lacketh  wisdom,  let  him 
ask  of  God,  Who  giveth  to  all  liberally  and 
upbraideth  not."  The  word  "  wisdom  "  in  that 
passage  is  the  exact  equivalent  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment word.  There  are  different  words  translated 
"  wisdom  "  both  in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments, 
but  the  Hebrew  word  in  Proverbs  is  translated 
in  the  Septuagint  by  that  actual  word  of  which 
James  makes  use.  The  Hebrew  philosophy  is 
illuminated  by  the  Christian  conception  in  the 
writing  of  James.  A  little  later,  in  his  letter, 
he  described  the  "  wisdom  that  is  from  above  " 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  PROVERBS          55 

as  "first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,  easy  to 
be  intreated,  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits, 
without  variance,  without  hypocrisy." 

The  selfsame  word  is  used  by  Paul  in  the 
crowning  epistle  of  his  system.  Concerning  the 
Christ  of  God,  he  affirms :  "  In  Whom  are  all  the 
treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge  hidden." 
And  again  concerning  the  Church,  he  declares  : 
"  And  in  Him  ye  are  made  full." 

Thus  to-day  we  begin  according  to  the  ancient 
philosophy  :  "  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  begin- 
ning of  wisdom "  ;  but  the  light  about  us  is 
brighter  than  it  was  in  the  olden  time.  God  has 
been  manifest  in  flesh.  By  that  unveiling  we 
have  had  a  revelation  of  God's  wisdom ;  and 
now  for  all  time — at  home,  in  our  friendships, 
and  in  the  midst  of  the  city's  rush  and  hurry — 
we  listen  for  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God ;  and 
following  the  track  of  His  footsteps,  we  come 
into  the  ultimate  Wisdom  slowly,  for  we  also  are 
ofttimes  fools  and  blind,  but  surely,  for  He  is 
forever  the  All-wise  and  the  perfectly  patient 
One. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


V.,  VI. 

vii.,  viii. 


L  The  Revelation  of  Folly 

L  An  oblique  Outlook  at  the  Universe.     L  4 — ii. 
M.  A  Misconception  of  God.  iii.,  iv. 

I  Government  of  Forces. 

|  Abandonment  of  People. 

Jehovah  absent. 

iii.  A  Religion  of  Fear  and  Fatalism. 
iv.  An  Attitude  of  cynical  Indifference. 
v.  A  narrow  Outlook.     Self-shadowed. 
vi.  A  false  Earnestness.  4  ix. — xi.  8. 

vii.  A  hopeless  Pessimism. 

II.  The  Statement  of  Wisdom 
i.  The  True  Order,     xi.  9,  10. 
ii.  The  True  Beginning,     xii.  i,  12. 
iii.  The  True  Wisdom,  xii.  13,  14. 


I.  A  Principle  Recognized 

Conviction  affects  Char- 
acter through  Conduct. 

Conduct  untrue  to  Con- 
viction is  Disaster. 

Conduct  guided  by  Con 
viction  is  Fulfillment. 


II.  An  Application 

To  dethrone  God  is  to 
lose  the  Key  of  Life. 

To  enthrone  God  is  to 
enter  into  Life. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES 

THE  book  of  Ecclesiastes  is  the  third  and 
last  of  the  wisdom  books  of  the  Old 
Testament.      Its    ultimate   message   is 
that  of  the  book  of  Proverbs,  which  is  epitomized 
in  the  words  : — 

"Trust  in  the  Lord  with  all  thine  heart, 
And  lean  not  upon  thine  own  understanding : 
In  all  thy  ways  acknowledge  Him, 
And  He  shall  direct  thy  paths." 

In  the  last  chapter  and  the  closing  verse  of  the 
book  of  Ecclesiastes,  these  words  occur :— - 

"  Fear  God,  and  keep  His  commandments;  for  this  is  the 
whole  of  man." 

The  word  "  duty  "  in  our  version  is  italicized,  and 
we  do  well  to  omit  it  It  has  no  existence  in  the 
Hebrew  text.  The  whole  of  man,  then,  is  to 
"fear  God,  and  keep  His  commandments." 
That  expresses  the  same  philosophy  as  that  of 
Proverbs,  though  in  different  words. 

What  then  is  the  difference  between  these 
two  books  ?  In  Proverbs  wisdom  is  first  defined, 
and  then  her  voice  is  heard  throughout 

57 


58      THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES 

In  Ecclesiastes  we  have  something  quite  dif- 
ferent. Wisdom  is  still  essentially  the  same.  In 
God  it  is  His  ultimate  knowledge.  In  man, 
therefore,  it  is  the  result  of  right  relationship  to 
God.  While  in  Proverbs  the  way  of  wisdom  is 
described,  in  Ecclesiastes  the  results  of  disobedi- 
ence are  set  forth.  In  this  book  we  have  the  rev- 
elation of  the  experience  of  a  man  who  failed  to 
fear  the  Lord,  and  therefore  lost  the  key  to  the 
ultimate  knowledge  and  wisdom.  In  the  study 
of  this  book  we  must  be  clear  in  our  own  mind 
as  to  the  difference  between  the  time  whes.  it  was 
written,  and  the  time  when  the  writer  passed 
through  the  experiences  he  describes. 

Ecclesiastes  is  not  a  diary.  It  is,  as  we  saw 
when  we  studied  its  content,  a  sermon ;  that  is, 
one  set  discourse.  The  text  is  first  given  ;  the 
introduction  is  in  proper  place ;  and  then  the 
main  body  of  the  discourse  proceeds  in  regular 
sequence  to  mass  the  evidence  to  the  truth  of  the 
proposition  of  the  text. 

The  attitude  of  the  preacher  must  be  under- 
stood, or  we  shall  miss  the  value  of  the  book. 
Through  all  his  experiences  he  never  lost  his  in- 
tellectual conviction  of  the  existence  of  God.  He 
was  neither  infidel  nor  agnostic.  Unless  a  man 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES      59 

profoundly  believe  in  the  existence  of  God,  he 
will  never  say  "  Vanity  of  vanities,  all  is  vanity  " 
when  he  is  trying  to  live  without  God.  There  is 
a  deadly  satisfaction  possible  to  a  man  if  he  can 
once  rid  himself  of  his  belief  in  the  existence  of 
God.  It  is  deadly  because  it  is  similar  to  the 
satisfaction  resulting  from  the  use  of  an  opiate. 
All  the  restlessness  of  humanity  is  cause  for 
thankfulness  in  that  it  reveals  the  underlying 
sense  of  God.  All  the  sob  and  agony  of  Eccle- 
siastes  is  the  outcome  of  the  fact  that  the  man 
whose  experience  it  describes  never  questioned 
the  existence  of  God. 

Notwithstanding  all  this,  the  answering  atti- 
tude of  fear  described  in  the  book  of  Proverbs 
was  absent  He  believed  in  God,  but  lacked  the 
fear  which  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom.  He  did 
not  trust  in  Jehovah  with  all  his  heart.  He  did 
lean  upon  his  own  understanding.  Believing  in 
the  existence  of  God,  he  did  not  in  all  his  ways 
acknowledge  Him,  and  consequently  his  paths 
lacked  direction,  and  he  wandered  over  trackless 
deserts  in  an  agony  of  desire  without  satisfaction. 
The  book  of  Ecclesiastes,  therefore,  is  a  mirror  in 
which  we  see  what  life  becomes  when  it  is  lived 
without  submission  to  intellectual  conviction. 


60      THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES 

The  permanent  values  of  the  book  are  two. 
The  first  is  that  of  the  revelation  of  the  vanity  of 
life  unyielded  to  God ;  and  the  second  is  that  of 
a  brief  statement  of  what  true  wisdom  is. 

The  revelation  of  the  vanity  of  a  godless  life  is 
sevenfold.  In  studying  the  preacher's  account 
of  his  own  experiences,  we  observe  in  him  an 
oblique  outlook  upon  the  universe,  a  misconcep- 
tion of  God,  a  religion  of  fear  and  fatalism,  an 
attitude  of  cynical  indifference,  a  narrow  concep- 
tion of  life,  a  false  earnestness  and  hopeless  pes- 
simism. 

He  had  an  oblique  outlook  upon  the  universe. 
This  is  the  euphemistic  method  of  expressing  the 
truth.  A  friend  of  mine,  discussing  with  me  the 
brilliant  articles  which  appeared  in  the  Spectator 
in  former  days  from  the  pen  of  Hutton,  declared 
that  while  they  still  are  full  of  fascination,  as  rev- 
elations of  the  times  in  which  they  were  written, 
they  are  of  no  use  to-day.  When  I  asked  him 
how  he  accounted  for  it,  he  bluntly  replied, 
"  Hutton  squinted  at  everything."  Not  perfectly 
catching  his  meaning,  he  explained  by  saying 
that  Hutton  saw  only  one  aspect  of  things,  and, 
therefore,  while  his  articles  appealed  to  men  who 
lived  in  the  midst  of  the  circumstances  with 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES      61 

which  he  dealt,  at  the  distance  of  a  quarter  of 
a  century  they  are  valueless.  The  book  of 
Ecclesiastes  gives  us  the  picture  of  the  uni- 
verse, which  results  from  this  kind  of  outlook. 
This  man  saw  its  machinery,  but  not  its  motive. 
He  looked  intently,  and  discovered  things  the 
scientific  accuracy  of  which  it  has  taken  centuries 
to  discover — such  as  the  fact  that  the  winds 
move  in  circuits ;  that  rivers  rising  in  the  moun- 
tains flow  to  the  sea  and  return  again.  When 
he  declared  that  all  was  vanity,  he  was  oppressed 
with  the  constant  grind  of  the  machinery  of  the 
universe,  and  that  because  he  had  no  commu- 
nion with  the  Master  Spirit  controlling  the  ma- 
chinery, or,  as  we  have  said,  had  no  consciousness 
of  the  motive.  If  one  having  no  knowledge  of 
machinery  should  be  placed  in  the  midst  of  the 
flying  spindles  and  turning  wheels  of  a  Lanca- 
shire cotton  mill,  he  would  in  all  probability  be 
oppressed  by  the  monotonous  movement ;  but  if 
that  machinery  is  understood  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  counting-house  where  the  masters  of 
the  movement  are  directing,  in  order  to  the  com- 
pletion of  the  fabric  which  is  to  serve  the  pur- 
poses of  countless  multitudes,  he  would  discover 
the  music  of  the  machinery.  The  outlook  of  the 


62      THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES 

man  whose  life  is  not  one  of  fellowship  with  God 
is  oblique,  and  the  result  must  inevitably  be  that 
of  depression. 

This  outlook  resulted  in  a  misconception  of 
God.  Neglecting  the  primary  matter  of  personal 
dealing  with  God,  he  looked  out  upon  the  world  ; 
and  observing  its  natural  phenomena  and  its 
social  conditions,  attempted  to  discover  God 
through  them,  and  thus  came  to  his  misconcep- 
tion. His  observation  did  not  allow  him  to  deny 
the  Divine  government  of  the  universe,  but  he 
only  saw  it  as  the  government  of  forces,  and  so 
God  became  to  him  merely  the  presiding  genius 
maintaining  the  movement  of  the  machinery 
without  any  high  purpose.  Not  recognizing  that 
God  has  dealings  with  man  in  the  highest  things 
of  his  life,  failing  to  discover  the  issue  towards 
which  all  things  are  working,  looking  merely  at 
them  in  their  motion,  he  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  there  was  no  advantage  in  wickedness  or  in 
goodness.  All  things  happened  to  all  men  in  the 
same  way,  whether  they  were  wicked  or  good. 
His  conception  of  God  is  clearly  evidenced  in  the 
fact  that  the  name  Jehovah  is  never  found  in  the 
book.  Elohim,  the  word  which  indicates  majesty 
and  might,  is  the  only  one  he  made  use  of.  He 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES      63 

had  no  conception  such  as  that  indicated  by  the 
word  Jehovah,  which  suggests  the  fact  that  God 
draws  near  in  grace  to  human  life,  becoming  to 
each  individual  what  it  needs  for  its  perfecting. 
As  the  result  of  this  misconception  of  God,  this 
man's  religion  was  a  religion  of  fear  and  fatalism. 
He  tried  everything — knowledge,  mirth  and 
licentiousness.  He  had  considered  the  mecha- 
nism of  the  universe ;  he  had  observed  the  social 
oppression  existing  on  every  hand  ;  then  he  de- 
clared his  religious  position.  "  Keep  thy  foot 
when  thou  goest  to  the  house  of  God."  It  is  per- 
fectly true  that  there  is  an  application  of  that  word 
which  we  often  make,  and  which  is  necessary  and 
proper,  that,  namely,  of  insisting  upon  the  neces- 
sity for  reverence  in  the  hour  and  the  place  of 
worship.  It  is  perfectly  certain,  however,  that 
the  writer  meant  a  great  deal  more  than  that. 
Having  put  God  out  of  practical  account  in  per- 
sonal life,  and  having  therefore  come  to  a  false 
conception  concerning  Him,  the  only  thought  of 
worship  which  remained  to  him  was  that  of  fear  in 
a  slavish  sense.  It  was  not  that  he  was  afraid  of 
hurting  God,  but  rather  fear  lest  God  should  hurt 
him.  His  only  idea,  then,  of  religion  was  that,  in 
the  presence  of  the  relentless  might  of  God,  it  was 


64     THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES 

wise  to  be  careful.  The  whole  truth  is  revealed 
in  his  sense  of  the  distance  of  God  ;  "  God  is  in 
heaven,  thou  upon  earth." 

The  outcome  of  all  this  was  that  he  at  last 
adopted  an  attitude  of  cynical  indifference.  He 
declared  that  it  was  best  never  to  be  amazed  at 
anything.  He  urged  men  not  to  be  troubled  by 
the  conditions  of  life  existing  around  them.  His 
whole  philosophy  may  be  expressed  in  the  terms 
of  advice  with  which  we  are  familiar  in  our  own 
day.  Do  not  be  surprised  at  anything ;  never 
be  anxious ;  and  above  everything,  do  not  be  ex- 
tremists. Notice  well  the  calculating  cynicism 
of  the  advice,  "Be  not  righteous  over-much. 
.  .  .  Be  not  over-much  wicked."  Strike  the 
happy  medium,  and  let  things  alone.  It  was  the 
attitude  of  cultivated  indifference  to  conditions 
which  have  troubled,  and  it  resulted  from  the  fact 
that  life  was  not  considered  in  its  personal,  direct, 
immediate  relationship  to  God. 

The  inevitable  result  was  that  his  outlook  was 
narrow.  Wherever  he  looked  he  saw  the  shadow 
of  his  own  personality.  He  had  no  vision  of  any- 
thing beyond  the  present  world.  Consequently 
he  dreaded  death  for  the  simple  reason  that  it 
ended  life.  He  considered  that  beyond  death  he 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES      65 

would  not  be  able  to  remember  the  things  he  had 
left  behind.  His  conception  of  life  was  narrowed 
by  geographical  boundaries,  and  the  limitations  of 
the  calendar. 

Contentment  with  such  a  conception  was  im- 
possible, and  the  outcome  was  false  earnestness. 
This  is  expressed  in  the  words,  "  Whatsoever  thy 
hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might ;  for 
there  is  no  work,  nor  device,  nor  knowledge,  nor 
wisdom,  in  the  grave,  whither  thou  goest." 
Again  we  have  a  quotation  which  we  constantly 
make  use  of  in  an  entirely  different  way  from  that 
intended  by  the  writer,  neither  is  it  wholly  unjus- 
tified. If  there  be  the  larger  outlook  on  life,  it  is 
well  that  we  do  with  our  might  whatever  we  find 
to  do  ;  but  in  the  case  of  this  man  it  was  the  last 
advice  of  pessimism.  In  view  of  the  fact  that 
there  was  nothing  beyond  the  present  life,  he  de- 
cided that  the  best  thing  possible  was  to  make  the 
most  of  the  present  life,  to  put  all  the  forces  of  life 
into  present  realization. 

The  ultimate  consequence  of  the  process  was 
that  of  the  hopeless  pessimism  expressed  in  the 
text,  "  Vanity  of  vanities,  all  is  vanity." 

Here,  then,  is  the  permanent  value  of  the  book. 
It  reveals  the  fact  that  if  a  man  put  God  out  of 


66     THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES 

count  in  the  actuality  of  his  conduct,  no  matter 
how  accurate  his  intellectual  conviction  may  be, 
these  things  inevitably  follow.  His  outlook 
upon  the  universe  is  oblique ;  he  comes  to  a 
misconception  of  God ;  his  religion  becomes 
that  of  fear  and  fatalism ;  he  presently  assumes 
an  attitude  of  synical  indifference ;  his  concep- 
tion of  life  is  narrow  ;  into  the  activities  of  the 
near  things  he  puts  deadly  and  disastrous  ear- 
nestness ;  until  at  last,  weary  of  everything,  he 
exclaims :  "  Vanity  of  vanities,  all  is  vanity." 

The  second  supreme  value  of  the  book  is  its 
statement  of  what  true  wisdom  is.  "  This  is  the 
end  of  the  matter ;  all  hath  been  heard ;  fear 
God,  and  keep  His  commandments ;  for  this  is 
the  whole  of  man."  The  section  which  culmi- 
nates in  this  declaration  commences :  "  Rejoice, 
O  young  man,  in  thy  youth ;  and  let  thy  heart 
cheer  thee  in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  and  walk  in 
the  ways  of  thine  heart,  and  in  the  sight  of  thine 
eyes :  but  know  thou,  that  for  all  these  things 
God  will  bring  thee  into  judgment."  This  pas- 
sage again  has  received  interpretation  which  is 
startlingly  out  of  harmony  with  its  simplest  inten- 
tion. In  my  study  I  have  an  old  Encyclopaedia  of 
Sermonic  Literature,  and  it  is  interesting  to  note 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES      67 

the  titles  of  sermons  preached  on  this  text,  all  oi 
them  more  that  thirty  years  ago.  One  will 
suffice  as  illustration:  The  Ironical  Permission. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  is  no  irony  whatever  in 
the  text  It  is  a  plain  call  to  a  young  man  to 
rejoice  in  his  youth.  The  final  declaration, 
"  For  all  these  things  God  will  bring  thee  into 
judgment,"  is  not  intended  to  fill  the  heart  with 
terror,  but  rather  to  indicate  the  true  line  of  wis- 
dom. God  intends  the  young  man  to  rejoice, 
and  to  enter  into  the  world  of  hope  and  joy,  but 
he  must  ever  remember  that  all  these  capacities 
of  his  being  must  not  be  abused,  because  God 
•will  require  account  of  the  way  in  which  His 
gifts  have  been  used.  The  intention  is  exactly 
the  same  as  that  contained  in  the  words  of  Prov- 
erbs : — 


Trust  in  the  Lord  with  all  thine  heart, 
And  lean  not  upon  thine  own  understanding. 
In  all  Thy  ways  acknowledge  Him, 
And  He  shall  direct  thy  paths." 


Finally,  in  the  words  of  Ecclesiastes,  already 
quoted :  "  This  is  the  end  of  the  matter ;  all  hath 
been  heard ;  fear  God,  and  keep  His  command- 
ments." To  forget  God  is  to  enter  into  life,  and 


68      THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES 

to  fail  of  all  its  profoundest  value,  until  the  heart 
cries  out,  "  Vanity  of  vanities,  all  is  vanity."  To 
"  fear  God,  and  keep  His  commandments  "  is  to 
enter  into  life,  and  to  live  in  all  the  fullest  sense 
of  the  word. 

What,  then,  is  the  living  message  of  this  book  ? 
Surely  it  is  declared  when  the  permanent  value 
is  discovered.  Yet  let  me  attempt  to  state  it 
briefly  in  other  words.  The  first  note  of  the 
message  is  that  conviction  affects  character 
through  conduct.  We  cannot  escape  from  that, 
whether  we  be  Christian  or  not.  It  is  an  eternal 
principle.  Conduct  untrue  to  conviction  is  de- 
structive. Conduct  guided  by  conviction  is  con- 
structive. Conviction  of  God  yielded  to  by  the 
conduct  of  obedience  produces  the  character  of 
contentment  and  of  strength.  The  same  con- 
viction disregarded  in  conduct  issues  in  char- 
acter of  discontent  and  weakness. 

In  the  book  of  Proverbs  I  find  the  white  light, 
indicating  the  direction  of  wisdom. 

In  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes  I  have  the  red 
light,  revealing  the  way  of  vanity. 

To  dethrone  God  is  to  lose  the  key  of  life. 
Man  may  try  knowledge,  he  may  turn  to  mirth, 
he  may  employ  wealth,  he  may — to  use  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES      69 

thought  of  the  writer,  and  the  language  of  this 
century — see  life ;  but  if  he  attempt  to  enter  into 
these  things  without  God,  he  has  lost  the  key, 
and  the  innermost  shrines  he  cannot  discover. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  in  all  his  ways  he  ac- 
knowledge God,  count  Him,  enthrone  Him ; 
then  answering  his  intellectual  conviction,  he 
will  find  the  key  of  life,  and  knowledge  will  be- 
come power,  mirth  a  perpetual  refreshment, 
wealth  a  means  of  helpfulness,  and  in  all  fullness 
he  will  see  life. 

These  Old  Testament  teachings  are  all  fulfilled 
in  the  New  Testament.  The  whole  philosophy 
is  expressed  in  the  words  of  Jesus :  "  This  is  life 
eternal,  that  they  should  know  Thee  the  only 
true  God,  and  Him  Whom  Thou  didst  send, 
even  Jesus  Christ."  To  know  and  obey  Christ, 
and  so  to  know  and  obey  God,  is  to  find  all  the 
doors  of  life  open  : — 


"In  Thy  presence  is  fullness  of  joy  ; 
In  Thy  right  hand  there  are  pleasures  forever- 
more." 


Whatever  may  be  the  circumstances  of  the  pass- 
ing hours,  wealth  or  poverty,  adversity  or  pros- 
T«ritv.  sunshine  or  shadow  ;  out  of  all.  the  true 


70     THE  MESSAGE  OF  ECCLESIASTES 

values  are  obtained  if  God  is  enthroned.  If  not, 
then  whatever  path  be  chosen  or  course  pursued, 
the  ultimate  language  of  experience  will  be: 
"  Vanity  of  vanities,  all  is  vanity." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  The  Revelation  of  the  true  Nature  of  human  Love 

i.  The  Foundations  of  Love. 

Mutual  Satisfaction,     ii.  2,  3. 
Complementary. 
Exclusive. 
ii.  The  Strength  of  Love. 

Indestructible,     viii.  6,  7. 

An  unquenchable  Flame, 
iii.  The  Methods  of  Love. 


f  Intense. 
\  Protective, 
j  Answering. 
|  Trusting. 


a.  Male.     Irresistible. 

b.  Female.     Yielding  to  such. 

iv.  The  Experience  of  Love. 

a.  Rest. 

b.  Joy. 

c.  Courage. 

II.  The  Unveiling  of  religious  Experience 

i.  The  Vindication  of  this  Value. 

a.  The  Old  Testament. 

1.  Chaldee  Targum. 

2.  Psalm  xlv. 

3.  Hosea.     Isaiah.     Jeremiah.     Ezekiel. 

b.  The  New  Testament.     Eph.  v.  25-32. 
ii.  The  Application. 

<z.  The  Foundations  of  Love. 

b.  The  Strength  of  Love. 

c.  The  Methods  of  Love. 

d.  The  Experience  of  Love. 


I.  «  The  Greatest  Is  Love  " 

i.  In  human  Interrelation- 
ships. 

ii.  In  the  ultimate  of  human 
Life,  which  is  Re- 
ligion. 


II.  Therefore 

i.  Sanctify     your     human 
Love  by  the  Ultimate. 
ii.  Interpret  your  religious 
Life  in  Terms  of  hu- 
man Love. 
Passion. 
Abandonment 
Fidelity. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG 
OF  SONGS 

THERE  is  no  book  in  the  Old  Testament 
more  easy  to  deal  with  in  regard  to  its 
message  than  the  Song  of  Songs,  if  we 
accept  one  very  simple  canon  of  interpretation. 
That  is  to  be  found  in  our  lecture  on  the  content 
of  the  book.  Let  me,  therefore,  repeat  the 
words  of  one  brief  paragraph  therefrom  :  — 

"  The  songs  should  be  treated  first  as  simple 
and  yet  sublime  songs  of  human  affection. 
When  they  are  thus  understood,  reverently  the 
thoughts  may  be  lifted  into  the  higher  value  of 
setting  forth  the  joys  of  the  communion  between 
the  spirit  of  man  and  the  Spirit  of  God,  and 
ultimately  between  the  Church  and  Christ." 

To  take  this  view  of  the  Song  of  Solomon  is 
to  recognize  the  supremacy  of  love.  Human  life 
finds  its  highest  fulfillment  in  the  love  of  man 
and  woman.  The  supreme  thing  in  religion  is 
love  between  the  soul  and  God.  The  highest 
realization  of  that  supreme  experience  of  love 
between  God  and  the  soul  is  created  by  Christ. 

73 


74    MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS 

In  Him,  God  came  near  to  man  in  order  to  woo 
him.  In  Him,  man  came  to  know  God  and  to 
love  Him.  Therefore  I  can  sing  the  songs  of 
Solomon,  as  did  the  mystics,  as  setting  forth  the 
relationship  between  Christ  and  His  bride. 

Still  to  my  amazement  I  hear  the  Bridegroom 
singing :  — 

"  As  a  lily  among  thorns, 
So  is  my  love  among  the  daughters." 

Still  I  hear  the  bride  replying :  — 

"  I  sat  down  under  his  shadow  with  great  delight, 
And  his  fruit  was  sweet  to  my  taste. 
He  brought  me  to  the  banqueting  house, 
And  his  banner  over  me  was  love." 

Still  I  hear  the  mystic  language  both  of  bride 
and  bridegroom  as  each  of  the  other  declares, 
"  My  beloved  is  mine." 

In  the  first  place,  this  was  undoubtedly  an 
earthly  love-song,  but  it  was  very  pure  and  very 
beautiful.  There  are  men  and  women  who  would 
find  indecencies  in  heaven — if  they  ever  got 
there — but  they  would  take  them  in  their  own 
corrupt  souls.  To  those  who  live  lives  of  simple 
purity,  these  songs  are  full  of  beauty,  as  they 
utter  the  language  of  human  love ;  and  finally, 


MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS    75 

in  spiritual  experience,  they  express  the  relation 
of  such  as  have  been  wooed  by  God  in  Christ, 
and  thus  have  come  to  know  and  love  Him. 

The  permanent  values  of  the  Song  are  two. 
It  is,  first,  a  revelation  of  the  true  nature  of 
human  love.  It  is,  secondly,  an  unveiling  of  the 
highest  religious  experience. 

The  mode  of  expression  is  peculiarly  Eastern. 
There  are  no  neutral  tints.  My  artist  friends 
must  be  patient  with  me  if  I  declare  myself 
Philistine  enough  to  believe  that  neutral  tints  are 
evidences  of  a  decadent  age.  This  Song  of 
Solomon  is  magnificent  in  its  gorgeous  colours, 
in  its  high  figures  of  speech,  in  the  prodigality 
of  its  protestations.  If  there  be  no  mystical 
value  in  the  book,  it  is  yet  full  of  human  interest. 
It  is  only  in  the  atmosphere  created  by  such 
flaming  colour,  superlative  utterance,  and  over- 
whelming audacity,  that  it  is  possible  ultimately 
to  appreciate  the  strength  of  love.  The  cool, 
calculating,  mechanical  man  who  dislikes  this 
book  has  never  been  in  love,  and  probably  never 
will  be. 

Beginning,  then,  with  this  acceptance  of  the 
book  as  a  collection  of  human  love-songs,  I  find 
that  it  reveals  much  concerning  the  nature  of 


76    MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS 

love  which  is  of  supreme  importance.  The 
foundation  of  love  is  laid  bare.  The  strength  of 
love  is  revealed.  The  methods  of  love  are  indi- 
cated. The  experience  of  love  is  described. 

Through  all  the  words  which  Solomon  and  the 
Shulammite  utter,  each  to  the  other,  there 
breathes  the  spirit  of  mutual  satisfaction.  In 
that  the  very  foundation  of  love  is  laid  bare. 
Those  standing  without  may  be  unable  to  see 
the  reason  why  each  finds  perfect  rest  in  the 
other.  That  inability  does  not  alter  the  fact. 
And  that  fact  is  the  fundamental  one  in  love. 
Joseph  Cook,  of  Boston,  in  his  second  lecture  on 
"  Infidel  Attack  on  the  Family,"  declared  that  a 
supreme  affection  is  the  only  natural  basis  of 
marriage,  and  that  supreme  affection  can  only 
exist  between  two.  In  all  the  songs  of  bride  and 
bridegroom  throughout  this  book  that  supreme 
affection  is  manifest.  In  this  fact  they  illuminate 
the  original  Divine  purpose  of  love  between  man 
and  woman  as  the  basis  of  marriage.  As  we 
have  said,  the  fact  is  evident  through  all  the 
songs.  One  or  two  brief  quotations  by  way  of 
illustration  will  suffice. 

"  As  a  lily  among  thorns, 
So  is  my  love  among  the  daughters." 


MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS    77 
That  is  the  language  of  a  man  in  love. 

"  As  the  apple  tree  among  the  trees  of  the  wood, 
So  is  my  beloved  among  the  sons." 

That  is  the  answer  of  the  woman's  love.  The 
whole  passage  finely  illustrates  the  meaning  of 
supreme  affection  between  two.  In  each  case 
love  is  absolutely  exclusive.  Each  sees  the  other 
as  the  only  one.  By  the  side  of  the  lily,  to  the 
spirit  of  the  man,  all  others  are  as  thorns.  To 
the  vision  of  the  woman  one  tree  is  supreme  in 
glory  and  beauty,  while  all  the  rest  are  massed 
as  "the  trees  of  the  wood."  This  kind  of  love  is 
not  born  amid  the  feverish  excitement  of  a  Lon- 
don season.  Neither  does  it  result  from  inane 
trifling  with  the  subject  of  love  and  marriage. 
Love  at  its  highest  is  supreme  affection  between 
two.  Love  at  its  deepest  is  the  unreasoned  but 
absolute  mutual  satisfaction  of  one  woman  and 
one  man  in  each  other. 

The  strength  of  love  is  fully  revealed  through- 
out the  songs.  One  passage  will  suffice  by  way 
of  illustration : — 

"  Set  me  as  a  seal  upon  thine  heart,  as  a  seal  upon  thine 

arm  : 

For  love  is  strong  as  death  ; 
Jealousy  is  cruel  as  the  grave  : 
The  flashes  thereof  are  flashes  of  fire, 


78    MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS 

A  very  flame  of  the  Lord. 

Many  waters  cannot  quench  love, 

Neither  can  the  floods  drown  it : 

If  a  man  would  give  all  the  substance  of  his  house  for 

love, 
He  would  utterly  be  contemned." 

No  exposition  is  needed  of  this  passage,  so  clear 
and  forceful  is  it  in  its  setting  forth  of  the  over- 
whelming and  all-victorious  strength  of  true  love. 
In  Paul's  classic  description  of  love  there  is  one 
simple  statement  into  which  all  this  teaching  is 
concentrated,  so  that  it  flashes  with  the  lustre  of 
diamonds : — 

"  Love  never  faileth." 

That  supreme  and  all-inclusive  truth  of  the 
strength  of  love  is  illustrated  throughout  the  whole 
of  these  songs. 

The  methods  of  love  are  revealed,  as  through 
the  idyllic  nature  of  the  book  the  story  of  the 
wooing  and  betrothal,  the  marriage  and  the  after 
life  is  told.  Inspired  by  love,  Solomon  is  irresist- 
ible, and  to  the  strength  of  that  appeal  of  love 
the  Shulammite  yields,  not  weakly,  but  with  a 
strength  that  is  only  overcome  by  the  supremacy 
of  love.  In  every  sentence  that  falls  from  his 
lips,  Solomon  reveals  the  intensity  of  his  devo- 
tion, to  the  appeal  of  which  the  Shulammite 


MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS    79 

answers  with  intensity  more  quiet  but  none  the 
less  strong.  Finally,  in  all  his  attitude,  Solomon 
is  overshadowing  and  protective,  and  the  Shulam- 
mite  rests  in  his  shadow  with  great  delight,  in 
perfect  security. 

The  experience  of  love  is  that  of  rest,  joy,  and 
courage.  Each  finds  in  the  other  the  place  of 
that  perfect  content  which  is  of  the  essence  of  rest, 
and  which  cannot  be  disturbed  by  storm  or 
tempest.  In  the  fullness  of  love  there  is  abiding 
gladness,  which  fills  the  heart  with  songs,  and 
flings  its  light  upon  all  circumstances,  so  that 
the  grayest  day  is  illumined,  and  the  roughest 
sackcloth  is  transfigured  into  the  glory  of  the 
purple.  In  the  union  of  the  strength  of  the  love 
of  each  there  is  courage,  which  enables  both  to 
face  all  circumstances  without  faltering,  and  side 
by  side  to  win  every  contested  field,  or  even  out 
of  defeat  to  gather  values  which  are  of  the  es- 
sence of  victory. 

If  this,  then,  is  only  a  human  love  song,  would 
to  God  that  those  who  know  its  strength  would 
sing  it  in  the  highways  and  byways,  to  recall 
men  and  women  from  superficial  and  frivolous 
thinking  about  love,  to  a  true  conception  of  its 
height  and  depth  and  beauty. 


8o    MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS 

Three  times  the  singer  breaks  in  upon  the  songs 
of  the  bride  and  bridegroom,  and  always  with 
the  same  words : 


"  I  adjure  you,  O  daughters  of  Jerusalem, 
By  the  roes,  and  by  the  hinds  of  the  field, 
That  ye  stir  not  up,  nor  awaken  love 
Until  it  please." 


Thus  suddenly,  in  the  midst  of  the  music,  there 
is  a  pause,  and  the  voice  of  the  singer  is  heard  in 
interpretation  and  warning.  The  method  is  not 
that  of  melody  or  of  harmony,  but  rather  that  of 
recitative,  in  which  at  the  end  of  the  marriage, 
between  the  wooing  and  the  betrothal,  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  united  life  the  revealing  caution  is 
uttered.  I  would  that  the  interrupting  charge 
might  be  inscribed  in  letters  of  fire,  and  hung 
in  every  hall  where  young  people  assemble.  In 
the  presence  of  the  glory  of  love  it  warns  them 
not  to  trifle  with  the  most  sacred  thing  in  life. 
Thus,  as  a  song  of  human  love  only,  it  is  chief  of  all 
the  songs  of  human  life,  in  very  deed  the  Song 
of  Songs. 

It  is  when  we  thus  see  the  beauty  of  it  in  its 
first  application  that  we  discover  how  wondrously 
it  flashes  its  light  upon  the  vaster  spaces,  and 


MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS    81 

inevitably  becomes  the  unveiling  of  religious  ex- 
perience at  its  highest  and  best.  I  do  not  hesitate 
to  affirm  that  I  believe  this  was  the  ultimate  in- 
tention of  the  writer.  It  is  an  interesting  fact 
that  the  Chaldee  Targum  contains  a  Jewish  com- 
mentary on  the  book,  the  title  of  which  reads : 
"  The  songs  and  hymns  which  Solomon,  the 
prophet-king  of  Israel,  delivered  by  the  spirit  of 
prophecy  before  Jehovah,  the  Lord  of  the  whole 
earth."  That  title  being,  as  we  have  said,  not 
Christian  but  Jewish,  is  most  suggestive.  It 
describes  Solomon,  not  as  a  king  merely,  but  as 
a  prophet-king,  and  justly  affirms  that  the  songs 
and  hymns  were  delivered  by  the  spirit  of 
prophecy,  and,  moreover,  that  they  were  de- 
livered before  Jehovah,  the  Lord  of  the  whole 
earth.  If  Solomon  wrote  of  human  love,  he 
nevertheless  sang  before  Jehovah.  The  un- 
doubted thought  of  that  ancient  title  is  that  the 
songs  had  a  spiritual  significance. 

This  interpretation  is  warranted,  moreover,  by 
the  fact  that  the  writers  of  the  Old  Testament 
dealt  with  the  relationship  between  God  and  His 
ancient  people  as  that  between  husband  and  wife. 
In  the  psalm  which  bears  the  title  "  A  song  of 
loves,"  in  which  the  writer  declares  that  he  speaks 


82    MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS 

of  the  things  which  he  has  made  touching  the 
king,  both  the  king  in  his  glory  and  the  queen  in 
her  beauty  are  described.  The  whole  of  the 
prophecy  of  Hosea  is  based  upon  this  great  con- 
ception, and  in  some  of  the  greatest  passages  in 
the  writings  of  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  Ezekiel,  the 
same  illustration  is  used. 

If  we  pass  from  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures 
to  those  of  the  New,  we  find  in  the  crowning  letter 
of  Paul's  system  a  passage  in  which,  in  order  to 
state  the  marriage  relationship  on  the  highest 
plane,  the  apostle  applies  the  same  thought  to 
the  relation  between  Christ  and  His  Church : — 

"  Husbands,  love  your  wives,  even  as  Christ 
also  loved  the  Church,  and  gave  Himself  up  for 
it ;  that  He  might  sanctify  it,  having  cleansed  it 
by  the  washing  of  water  with  the  Word,  that  He 
might  present  the  Church  to  Himself  a  glorious 
Church,  not  having  spot  or  wrinkle  or  any  such 
thing ;  but  that  it  should  be  holy  and  without 
blemish.  Even  so  ought  husbands  also  to  love 
their  own  wives  as  their  own  bodies.  He  that 
loveth  his  own  wife  loveth  himself :  for  no  man 
ever  hated  his  own  flesh ;  but  nourisheth  and 
cherisheth  it,  even  as  Christ  also  the  Church  ; 
because  we  are  members  of  His  body.  .  .  . 


MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS    83 

This  mystery  is  great :  but  I  speak  in  regard  of 
Christ  and  of  the  Church." 

Thus  the  Hebrew  writers  used  the  figure 
to  indicate  the  relation  between  God  and  His 
people ;  and  the  great  exponent  of  Christian 
truth  shows  how  the  ideal  is  perfectly  realized  in 
the  relation  between  Christ  and  His  Church. 

If  then  we  are  justified  in  discovering  in  these 
songs  language  which  may  be  used  as  setting 
forth  the  relationship  between  Christ  and  His 
people,  we  may  take  the  revelations  of  human 
love  which  they  convey,  and  use  them  as  both  re- 
vealing and  expressing  the  perfections  of  that 
communion.  The  foundation  of  the  love  existing 
between  Christ  and  His  own  is  that  of  mutual 
satisfaction.  As  to  our  satisfaction  in  Him  noth- 
ing need  be  written.  We  constantly  give  ex* 
pression  to  the  truth : — 

"  Thou,  O  Christ,  art  all  I  want, 
More  than  all  in  Thee  I  find.'' 

The  thought  that  He  finds  satisfaction  in  us  is 
one  which  must  fill  us  with  perennial  astonish- 
ment, but  it  is  none  the  less  true.  Even  if  to-day 
we  fail  to  see  the  glory  of  His  perfected  work  in 
us,  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  in  His  redeemed  at 


84    MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS 

last  He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  His  soul,  and 
be  satisfied.  That  mutual  satisfaction  is  the  very 
foundation  of  love.  Let  each  express  it  in  indi- 
vidual language.  I  am  satisfied  in  Him,  and  He 
is  satisfied  in  me  ;  not  in  me  as  I  now  am,  but  in 
that  which  He  will  make  me,  in  that  which  I  shall 
be,  when  His  work  is  perfected  in  me. 

Of  the  strength  of  the  love  nothing  finer  can  be 
said  than  by  quotation  of  the  actual  words  of  the 
song : — 

"  Love  is  strong  as  death.  .  .  . 
Many  waters  cannot  quench  love, 
Neither  can  the  floods  drown  it." 

As  to  His  love  for  us,  the  Cross  is  the  literal  and 
actual  proof  of  these  words.  As  for  us,  in  pro- 
portion as  we  yield  ourselves  to  the  constraint  of 
His  love,  it  becomes  true  that 

"  Many  waters  cannot  quench  love, 
Neither  can  the  floods  drown  it." 

The  methods  of  love  suggested  in  the  song 
perfectly  interpret  the  methods  of  Christ  with  us, 
and  our  methods  with  Him.  All  who  know  Him 
are  conscious  of  the  irresistible  nature  of  His  love. 
It  was  and  is  to  that  we  yield  ourselves  as  we 
sing :— 


MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS     85 

"  Nay,  but  I  yield,  I  yield, 
I  can  hold  out  no  more; 
I  sink,  by  dying  love  compelled, 
And  own  Thee  Conqueror." 

Moreover,  of  the  intensity  of  His  love  it  is  im- 
possible to  speak ;  but  in  its  approach,  in  its 
constant  method,  we  are  forever  conscious  of  it. 
Our  love  to  Him  has  the  same  note  of  intensity  in 
proportion  as  we  yield  in  whole-hearted  abandon- 
ment to  the  appeal  of  His.  His  love  of  us  is  ever 
that  of  the  overshadowing  and  protective  One. 
All  the  words  of  the  song  only  find  their  perfect 
fulfillment  in  those  who  know  and  trust  Him,  and 
are  able  to  say  : 

"  I  sat  down  under  his  shadow  with  great  delight.     .     .     . 
He  brought  me  to  the  banqueting  house, 
And  his  banner  over  me  was  love." 

Finally,  in  this  mutual  love  of  Christ  and  His 
people,  there  is  the  same  threefold  experience  of 
rest,  joy,  and  courage.  Zephaniah,  in  the  sweetest 
song  of  the  Old  Testament,  which  sets  forth  the 
love  of  God  for  His  people,  declared  : — 

"He  will  rejoice  over  thee  with  joy; 
He  will  rest  in  His  love, 
He  will  joy  over  thee  with  singing." 

Thus,   as  we  let  this  song  sing  to  us  in  all  its 


86    MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS 

purity  and  strength,  the  story  of  human  love  on 
its  highest  level,  it  inevitably  lifts  us  on  wings 
into  a  more  perfect  understanding  of  the  relation- 
ship between  Christ  and  His  own. 

If  these  be  the  permanent  values,  what  is  the 
living  message  of  this  book  ?  This  may  be  stated 
in  few  words.  The  book  declares  to-day  the 
truth  embodied  in  the  word  of  Paul :  "  The  great- 
est of  these  is  love."  Love  is  the  greatest  fact  in 
all  human  interrelationships.  It  is  the  greatest 
experience  in  the  spiritual  realm.  It  is  religion. 
That  surely  was  the  meaning  of  our  Lord's  words, 
when  He  said :  "  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and 
with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the  great  and  first 
commandment.  And  a  second  like  unto  it  is  this, 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself." 

The  final  living  message  of  the  book  is  twofold. 
First,  human  love  should  ever  be  sanctified  by 
the  thoughts  of  the  ultimate  love  which  it  illus- 
trates. All  things  on  earth  have  relationships 
stretching  out  into  the  infinite  and  eternal.  There 
should  be — and,  indeed,  there  can  be — no  perfect 
human  love  which  does  not  harmonize  with  the 
spiritual  and  the  Divine. 

Secondly,  we  must  attempt  to  interpret  our  re- 


MESSAGE  OF  THE  SONG  OF  SONGS    87 

ligious  life  in  the  terms  of  our  human  love.  Its 
terms  are  those  of  passion,  abandonment,  and 
fidelity,  the  burning  flame  which  pours  life  right 
out  in  service,  and  keeps  it  true.  If  we  may  but 
come  to  such  realization  of  our  fellowship  with 
the  Lord  as  to  express  our  love  to  Him  on  this 
wise,  what  a  change  will  be  wrought  in  all  our 
experience,  and  in  all  our  service. 

Thus  we  admit  that  the  Song  of  Solomon  is  an 
Eastern  love  song,  and  if  no  more  than  that,  it  is 
full  of  beauty,  and  full  of  value ;  but  because  it  is 
so  perfectly  a  human  love  song,  and  because 
human  love  is  offspring  of  the  Divine  love,  the 
song  reaches  out  and  carries  us  with  it  to  higher 
heights,  forever  helping  us  to  understand  the 
final  experiences  of  the  soul  in  religion,  those  of 
the  love  of  God  for  us,  and  our  love  for  God. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 

THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  Government 
i.  The  Principles. 

a.  Holiness.  The  Inspiration. 

b.  Righteousness.     The  Activity. 

c.  Justice.  The  Method. 
ii.  The  Methods. 

a.  Revelation. 

b.  Explanation. 

c.  Application. 

iii.  The  Characteristics 

a.  Patience. 

b.  Persistence. 

c.  Power. 

II.  Grace 

i.  The  Principle  of  the  Principles. 

Human  Sin  violates  the  Principles. 
That  is  the  Cross  in  the  Experience  of  God. 
The  unutterable  Sorrow  of  God. 
ii.  The  Method  of  the  Methods. 

Human  salvation  depends  upon  Submission  to 

the  Method. 

That  is  the  Cross  in  the  Activity  of  God. 
The  unsearchable  Grace  of  God. 
iii.  The  Character  of  the  Characteristics. 

Human   Destiny  determined  by  Response  to 

the  Characteristics. 
That  is  the  Cross  in  its  effect  on  man. 
The  unquenchable  Love  of  God. 


I.  Fundamental 

i.  Submission    to   Govern* 

ment. 
ii.  Salvation  by  Grace. 


II.  The  Interrelation 

i.  To  Government  for 
Grace. 

ii.  In  Grace  for  Govern- 
ment 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH 

THE  section  of  the  Divine  library  con- 
taining the  prophetic  writings  speaks 
with  no  uncertain  sound  to  our  own 
age. 

We  begin  with  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah.  Its 
message  concerns  the  Throne,  and  was  spoken 
to  the  nation. 

Isaiah,  in  common  with  all  the  prophets,  had 
practically  nothing  to  say  to  men  about  in- 
dividual relationship  to  God.  Of  course  he 
never  lost  sight  of  the  importance  of  individual 
life  in  order  to  the  strength  of  national  life ;  but 
he  was  preeminently  dealing  with  the  nation  as 
a  nation. 

The  content  of  the  first  section  of  the  book 
reveals  the  fact  that,  in  the  economy  of  God, 
judgment  ever  proceeds  to  peace.  It  is  important 
to  recognize  that  judgment  beyond  this  life  is 
not  in  view.  The  prophet  deals  with  judgment 
here  and  now.  Let  no  one  misunderstand  this 
statement.  I  am  not  denying  the  fact  of  judg- 

89 


90  THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH 

ment  beyond  this  life,  but  only  pointing  out  that 
such  judgment  is  not  that  to  which  the  prophet 
refers  in  this  book.  It  is  rather  the  judgment 
of  God  in  this  world  proceeding  to  the  establish- 
ment of  peace  in  this  world. 

So  also  in  the  final  section  of  the  book,  which 
teaches  that  peace  is  ever  based  on  righteousness, 
the  application  of  the  teaching  is  to  a  peace  ex- 
perienced in  this  world,  upon  the  basis  of  right- 
eousness established  in  this  world.  The  prophet's 
outlook  is  never  upon  the  life  that  lies  beyond. 

The  permanent  value  of  the  book  then  is  that 
it  reveals  the  abiding  Throne  of  God ;  and  the 
principles  of  its  activity  in  the  affairs  of  men. 
The  living  message  of  the  book  is  immediately 
dependent  upon  this  revelation.  As  we  stand  in 
the  light  of  the  unveiled  Throne,  we  are  brought 
to  an  understanding  of  man's  relation  to  that 
Throne  ;  not  merely  a  revelation  of  what  his  re- 
lation ought  to  be,  but  a  revelation  of  what  it  is, 
for  no  man  can  escape  the  government  of  God 
either  in  this  life  or  in  that  which  is  to  come. 

If  I  were  asked  to  choose  from  this  prophecy 
the  two  chapters  which  are  supreme,  because 
they  fling  their  light  upon  all  the  rest,  I  should 
choose  the  sixth  and  the  fifty-third,  which  respect- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH  91 

ively  bring  us  into  the  presence  of  the  Throne  ; 
and  reveal  to  us  the  suffering  of  the  Servant  of 
God  in  Whom  the  authority  of  the  Throne  is 
vested. 

The  vision  of  the  Throne  was  given  to  Isaiah 
in  the  year  in  which  King  Uzziah  died.  He  had 
lived  in  the  consciousness  of  that  Throne  before, 
but  when  the  earthly  throne  became  vacant,  there 
came  to  him  a  new  unveiling  of  the  Throne 
which  is  never  vacant.  All  the  life  of  Isaiah  had 
been  lived  in  the  reign  of  Uzziah.  He  had  never 
known  another  king.  Those  of  us  who  lived  all 
the  first  part  of  our  lives  in  the  reign  of  Victoria 
can  a  little  understand  the  prophet's  experience. 
I  well  remember  that  there  came  a  strange  and 
almost  weird  sense  of  emptiness  into  my  life 
when  I  saw  on  the  placards  that  Victoria  had 
passed  away.  I  had  never  known  any  other 
sovereign  on  the  throne,  and  it  was  with  a 
strange  sense  of  loss  that  I  thought  of  the  nation 
bereft  of  its  queen.  So  Isaiah  must  have  felt  at 
the  death  of  Uzziah.  Then  God  gave  him  a 
special  vision  of  the  Throne  that  is  always  filled. 
That  vision  lifted  his  ministry  on  to  a  higher 
plane,  and  its  central  note  and  perpetual  message 
became  that  of  the  unveiled  Throne. 


92  THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH 

Concerning  that  Throne  there  are  two  great 
facts  which  this  prophecy  presents  to  us.  First, 
that  of  government,  and  secondly,  that  of  grace. 
These  are  evident,  and  the  statement  savours 
of  the  commonplace ;  but  Isaiah  was  preemi- 
nently the  prophet  of  the  commonplace.  That 
was  the  complaint  which  the  men  of  his  day 
made  against  him.  In  words  full  of  contempt 
they  enquired,  "  Whom  will  he  teach  knowledge  ? 
and  whom  will  he  make  to  understand  the  mes- 
sage? them  that  are  weaned  from  the  milk,  and 
drawn  from  the  breasts  ?  For  it  is  precept  upon 
precept,  precept  upon  precept ;  line  upon  line, 
line  upon  line ;  here  a  little,  there  a  little."  All 
this  was  the  language  of  satirical  contempt.  The 
prophet's  answer  was,  in  effect,  a  declaration  of 
the  fact  that  they  needed  this  very  teaching  and 
this  method,  and  their  failure  resulted  from  their 
forgetfulness  of  the  simplest  first  facts  of  their 
national  existence. 

This  in  itself  creates  the  pertinence  of  the  mes- 
sage of  this  book  to  our  own  age.  There  is 
nothing  we  need  more  than  a  restatement  of  the 
first  principles  of  life ;  and  these  are  those  of  the 
Throne  of  God  in  its  government  and  grace. 

The  study  of  the  book  reveals  the  principles* 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH  93 

methods,  and  characteristics  of  government ;  and 
the  principle,  method,  and  character  of  grace. 
This  phrasing  in  itself  suggests  that  while  the  su- 
preme teaching  is  that  of  the  government  of 
God,  the  profoundest  revelation  is  that  such  gov- 
ernment is  inspired  and  unified  by  His  grace. 
From  first  to  last  we  hear  from  the  Throne  the 
thunderings  of  authority,  and  also  the  tender 
dominant  note  of  love.  If  I  were  asked  to  select 
from  the  New  Testament  some  one  passage 
which  would  give  expression  to  the  inclusive 
revelation  of  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  I  should 
quote  from  the  revelation  of  John,  "A  throne 
.  .  .  and  ...  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne  ...  a  Lamb."  In  the  sixth  chap- 
ter of  the  prophecy  we  see  the  throne ;  in  the 
fifty-third,  the  Lamb. 

First,  then,  as  to  government.  The  first  read- 
ing of  the  book  of  Isaiah  would  inevitably  leave 
upon  the  mind  the  impression  of  government 
rather  than  that  of  grace.  By  that  I  do  not  in- 
tend to  suggest  that  grace  is  a  secondary  matter. 
It  will  certainly  be  admitted  that  the  deepest 
meaning  of  any  book  which  is  really  worth  read- 
ing is  not  discovered  at  the  first.  It  is  equally 
true  that  that  profounder  meaning  can  only  be 


94  THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH 

reached  by  the  reception  of  the  first  impression, 
and  the  investigation  which  such  an  impression 
compels.  I  repeat  then,  that  the  stately  imagery, 
the  finished  rhetoric,  and  the  overwhelming  splen- 
dour of  this  prophecy  must  necessarily  impress 
the  mind  in  the  first  place  with  the  fact  of  gov- 
ernment. 

As  we  have  indicated,  a  consideration  of  the 
teaching  of  this  book  concerning  the  Divine 
government  reveals  its  principles,  its  methods,  its 
characteristics. 

As  to  the  principles,  three  words  will  cover  the 
ground :  holiness,  righteousness,  and  justice ; 
holiness  being  the  inspiration,  righteousness  the 
activity,  and  justice  the  result.  It  may  be  ob- 
jected that  we  have  omitted  mercy.  As  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  in  the  economy  of  God,  justice  and 
mercy  are  synonymous  terms.  Their  separation 
is  a  violation  of  the  true  moral  order.  When 
justice  and  mercy  meet  together,  and  righteous- 
ness and  peace  kiss  each  other,  it  may  be  a  sur- 
prising thing  to  those  who  have  had  long  ac- 
quaintance with  injustice,  but  the  meeting  in  each 
case  is  really  the  restoration  of  a  lost  harmony. 
In  the  midst  of  the  chaos  of  social  conditions  to- 
day, absolute  justice  is  the  mercy  for  which  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH  95 

world  waits.  All  who  know  what  it  is  to  rejoice 
in  the  mercy  of  God  which  has  brought  salva- 
tion, know  also  that  their  rejoicing  is  based  upon 
the  fact  that  mercy  acts  in  justice.  God  is 
"  just,  and  the  Justifier  of  him  that  hath  faith  in 
Jesus." 

The  revelation  of  holiness  in  the  book  of  Isaiah 
is  fundamental.  The  expression,  "  The  Holy 
One  of  Israel  "  is  almost  peculiar  to  this  book. 
The  song  of  the  seraphim  as  they  worshipped  in 
the  presence  of  the  King  Who  occupied  the  up- 
lifted Throne  celebrated  the  profoundest  fact  of 
His  being,  "  Holy,  holy,  holy,  is  Jehovah  of 
hosts."  That  holiness  is  the  ceaseless  inspira- 
tion of  His  government.  The  word  holiness  was 
not  peculiar  to  the  Hebrew  people.  It  obtained 
in  the  language  of  all  forms  of  idolatry,  but  it 
did  not  suggest  in  them  what  it  does  in  Isaiah's 
use  of  it.  Its  root  significance  is  that  of  separa- 
tion, distance.  Isaiah's  conception  of  God  was 
one  which  revealed  the  deepest  significance  of 
this  fact  of  separation,  that,  namely,  of  the  essen- 
tial, unquestioned  purity  of  God.  This  is  proved 
by  the  effect  the  consciousness  produced  in  the 
mind  of  the  prophet  which  drew  from  him  the 
cry,  "  I  am  a  man  of  unclean  lips."  Holiness 


96  THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH 

then,  as  purity,  is  the  inspiration  of  the  Divine 
government. 

Therefore  the  activity  of  that  government  is  al- 
ways that  of  righteousness.  All  conduct  is  the 
outcome  of  character,  and  where  the  character  is 
holy,  the  conduct  is  righteous.  Because  God  is 
holy,  He  does  righteously. 

The  inevitable  result  is  that  of  justice.  In  all 
the  dealings  of  God,  both  with  His  own  people 
and  with  the  surrounding  nations  there  is  clearly 
manifest  a  fine  and  poetic  justice.  In  the  great 
impeachment  of  the  nation  contained  in  the  first 
chapter  this  fact  is  really  involved  in  words 
which  do  not  at  first  seem  to  suggest  it.  Je- 
hovah appealed  to  His  people,  "  Come  now,  and 
let  us  reason  together,"  and  thereby  claimed 
that  His  dealing  with  them  was  that  of  justice. 
The  prophet  described  the  people  as  bruised  and 
broken  from  the  crown  of  the  head  to  the  sole  of 
the  foot  by  the  chastisements  of  Jehovah,  and 
cried  to  them,  "  Why  will  ye  be  still  stricken, 
that  ye  revolt  more  and  more  ?  " 

The  reason  of  their  chastisement  was  their 
revolt,  and  therefore  their  chastisement  resulted 
not  from  arbitrary,  capricious  punishment,  but 
from  the  necessity  of  eternal  justice.  If  they 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH  97 

could  but  have  been  brought  to  such  conscious- 
ness of  this  fact  as  would  have  resulted  in  the 
ending  of  their  revolt,  the  chastisement  would 
have  been  removed,  and  healing  would  have  fol- 
lowed. That  was  the  significance  of  the  Divine 
call,  "  Come  now,  and  let  us  reason  together." 

Thus  the  principles  of  government  are  seen  to 
be  those  of  holiness  as  inspiration,  righteousness 
as  activity,  and  justice  as  result. 

Turning  to  the  consideration  of  the  methods  of 
the  Divine  government,  we  find  them  to  be  those 
of  revelation,  explanation,  and  application.  The 
complaint  of  the  prophet  against  the  chosen  peo- 
ple was,  as  we  have  seen,  that  they  had  been  dis- 
obedient. Disobedience  is  only  possible  where 
there  is  knowledge  of  law,  and  knowledge  of 
law  involves  revelation.  The  nation  had  been 
created  by  revelation.  God  had  unveiled  Him- 
self to  them  through  all  their  history,  and  made 
known  His  will  by  words  and  by  messengers. 
Throughout  the  whole  of  his  ministry  Isaiah  kept 
this  fact  of  the  Divine  method  before  the  mind  of 
those  to  whom  he  spoke.  The  study  of  this 
book  has,  as  one  of  its  supreme  values,  the 
presentation  of  the  Servant  of  God,  first  in  dim, 
shadowy,  mysterious  outline ;  finally  in  clear  and 


98  THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH 

accurate  manifestation.  So  remarkably  is  this 
true  that  if  we  study  the  portraiture  of  the  Serv- 
ant of  Jehovah  as  we  have  it  in  the  prophecy  of 
Isaiah,  and  then  that  which  we  find  in  the 
Gospel  stories,  we  find  they  coincide  line  for  line, 
glory  for  glory,  beauty  for  beauty.  God's  first 
method  of  government  is  that  of  revealing  Him- 
self to  men  by  voices,  by  visions ;  and  ultimately 
in  the  one  inclusive  manifestation  of  that  Servant 
Who  is  the  final  Speech  of  God. 

His  method  is  not  only  that  of  revelation,  it  is 
also  that  of  explanation.  It  is  impossible  to 
study  the  messages  of  this  book  without  being 
impressed  with  the  fact  that  God  is  ever  at  in- 
finite pains  to  explain  to  men  what  He  is  doing 
with  them  either  in  punishment  or  in  healing. 
He  comes  to  the  level  of  man  in  order  that  there 
may  be  no  misconception  of  His  purpose.  It  is 
quite  conceivable  that  it  may  be  declared  that 
this  is  exactly  what  God  does  not  do  to-day.  He 
seems  strangely  silent,  and  there  is  no  immediate 
explanation  of  His  meaning  or  of  His  method. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  He  is  working  and  explain- 
ing, but  men  are  neither  looking  for  Him  nor 
listening  to  Him.  Perhaps  an  illustration  from 
another  of  the  prophets  may  help  us  at  this  point 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH  99 

When  Habakkuk  was  filled  with  trouble  because 
it  seemed  to  him  that  God  was  silent  and  in- 
active, God  said  to  him  in  effect,  I  am  at  work, 
but  if  I  told  you  what  I  am  doing  you  would  not 
believe  it.  When  God  declared  that  He  was 
girding  Cyrus,  and  using  him  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  His  purpose,  the  prophet  was  more  than 
ever  astonished.  All  of  which  suggests  that 
God  is  always  at  work,  and,  moreover,  makes 
known  His  ways  to  such  as  listen.  As  well  as  by 
His  acts,  God  is  directly  speaking  to  men  and 
explaining  to  them  His  purposes  in  the  daily 
newspapers,  but  they  do  not  dream  of  seeking 
His  messages  therein.  We  do  not  read  our 
newspapers  from  that  high  standpoint.  We  read 
them  rather  from  the  midst  of  dust,  and  the  dust 
gets  in  our  eyes  and  on  their  pages.  Thus,  all 
the  while  we  do  not  see  the  flaming  letters  of 
God's  revelation  for  looking  at  the  lying  letters 
of  men's  printing.  In  those  days  Isaiah  was  ex- 
plaining the  method  of  God,  and  yet  men 
declared  that  he  had  nothing  to  teach  them. 

The  final  fact  in  the  method  of  God  is  that  of 
application.  He  is  seen  as  actively  interfering. 
One  illustration  of  this  will  suffice.  It  is  that  of 
the  word  spoken  to  Cyrus,  a  man  outside  the 


ioo          THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH 

covenant,  "  I  have  called  thee.  ...  I  will 
gird  thee,  though  thou  hast  not  known  Me." 
This  is  a  clear  instance  of  this  supreme  truth 
that  God  has  in  no  sense  abandoned  the  world  ; 
but  that  for  the  fulfillment  of  His  purpose,  He 
takes  hold  of  men  and  makes  them  all,  if  uncon- 
sciously, yet  definitely,  contribute  to  its  carrying 
out.  He  makes  the  wrath  of  men  to  praise  Him, 
and  the  remainder  He  restrains. 

Finally,  we  come  to  the  characteristics  of  the 
Divine  government  as  revealed  in  this  prophecy. 
The  first  is  that  of  patience.  God  ever  gives 
His  people  opportunity  to  return  to  loyalty.  The 
second  is  that  of  persistence.  He  never  makes 
terms  with  sin  by  condoning  it,  excusing  it,  or 
signing  a  truce  with  it.  The  third  is  that  of 
power.  He  is  forevermore  revealed  as  irresist- 
ibly moving  forward  towards  the  accomplish- 
ment of  His  will.  All  these  characteristics  are 
revealed  most  forcefully  in  the  description  in- 
volved in  the  great  passage,  "  Who  among  us 
shall  dwell  with  the  devouring  fire?  who  among 
us  shall  dwell  with  everlasting  burnings?"  A 
study  of  these  enquiries  in  the  light  of  their  con- 
text will  show  that  to  the  mind  of  the  prophet, 
God,  full  of  patience,  was  persistent  and  power- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH  101 

ful ;  and  he  saw  the  cities  of  sin,  and  the  foes  of 
right,  and  the  enemies  of  God,  being  consumed 
in  the  fire  of  His  presence,  even  in  the  hour  when 
they  imagined  they  were  strong.  To  the  clear 
vision  of  this  man,  God  was  everywhere  as  a  fire, 
irresistible,  searching,  burning,  destroying,  even 
though  men  were  unconscious  of  the  fact 

Turning  from  this  consideration  of  the  revela- 
tion of  government,  to  seek  for  that  of  grace, 
we  find  it  everywhere.  It  is  the  principle  of  the 
principles,  the  method  of  the  methods,  the  char- 
acter of  the  characteristics.  All  the  principles 
with  which  we  have  dealt  in  the  consideration  of 
the  government  of  God  are  but  the  manifesta- 
tions of  this  one  inclusive  principle.  The 
supreme  reason  of  the  Divine  holiness  is  the 
Divine  love.  The  supreme  inspiration  of  the 
Divine  righteousness  is  the  Divine  love.  The 
supreme  certainty  of  the  Divine  justice  is  the 
Divine  love.  As  we  carefully  study  the  prophecy 
and  listen  to  the  complaints  of  Jehovah,  while 
they  reverberate  in  thunder,  they  thrill  with  the 
tenderness  of  tears.  In  the  first  impeachment 
we  find  the  words,  "I  have  nourished  and 
brought  up  children,  and  they  have  rebelled 
against  Me."  "They  have  rebelled  against 


102          THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH 

Me,"  that  is  the  word  of  thunder.  "  I  have 
nourished  and  brought  up  children."  In  that 
there  is  the  tenderness  of  tears.  It  is  the  wail  of 
the  heart  of  the  Father.  It  is  the  revelation  of 
the  Cross  in  the  experience  of  God,  the  language 
of  unutterable  sorrow.  May  I  dare  to  illustrate 
by  quotation  of  a  word  from  literature  on  an 
infinitely  lower  level  ? 

"  How  sharper  than  a  serpent's  tooth  it  is 
To  have  a  thankless  child." 

God's  use  of  the  word  "  children  "  is  eloquent  of 
the  deepest  fact  in  all  the  processes  of  His  gov- 
ernment. As  I  behold  the  activity  of  the  Throne, 
whether  in  its  inspiration  of  holiness,  its  activity 
of  righteousness,  or  its  result  of  justice,  I  dis- 
cover that  which  lies  deeper  and  makes  necessary 
all  this,  the  grace  of  God,  the  love  of  God.  It  is 
when  this  is  most  clearly  seen  that  sin  is  known 
to  be  most  damnable,  because  in  the  light  of 
this  revelation  we  understand  that  sin  causes 
sorrow  to  the  heart  of  God.  That  declaration 
cannot  be  contradicted  in  the  light  of  New  Testa- 
ment teaching.  One  of  the  supreme  injunctions 
to  the  saints  is  "Grieve  not  the  Holy  Spirit,"  and 
it  is  well  that  we  remind  ourselves  of  that  which 
has  been  so  often  pointed  out,  that  the  literal  and 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH  103 

more  expressive  translation  of  that  passage  is 
Cause  not  sorrow  to  the  Spirit  of  God.  Thus,  at 
the  very  beginning,  before  the  awful  thunder  of 
the  Throne  is  heard,  or  at  least  with  its  first 
reverberation,  we  hear  the  tone  of  infinite  grace 
and  infinite  love. 

Not  only  is  grace  the  principle  of  the  prin- 
ciples, it  is  also  the  method  of  the  methods. 
Grace  is  the  cause  of  revelation,  the  reason  of 
explanation,  and  the  perpetual  motive  of  applica- 
tion. On  the  uplifted  Throne  is  the  One  Whose 
worship  in  the  songs  of  the  seraphim  causes  the 
very  foundations  of  the  temple  to  shake  ;  but  He 
is  One  Who  hears  the  sigh  of  the  sinning  soul 
above  the  music  of  the  seraphim,  and  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  deepest  fact  of  His  being  causes  one 
of  the  flaming  ones  to  cease  his  singing  that  he 
may  catch  the  live  coal  from  the  altar,  and  swiftly 
pass  with  it  to  touch  the  lips  of  the  sinning  man 
in  order  to  their  cleaning.  Thus,  all  the  methods 
of  His  government  are  the  result  of  the  method 
of  His  grace. 

Finally,  grace  is  the  character  of  the  charac- 
teristics. The  characteristics  of  government  are 
those  of  patience,  persistence,  and  power ;  and 
these  result  from  the  essential  character  of  love. 


104          THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH 

Grace  is  the  reason  of  patience,  the  inspira- 
tion of  persistence,  and  the  passion  of  power. 
Human  salvation  must  result  from  response  to 
that  love  which  first  expresses  itself  in  a  veri- 
table sob  of  anguish  in  the  presence  of  sin, 
and  then  through  suffering  which  cannot  be 
measured  makes  possible  the  return  and  renewal 
of  the  sinner.  If  one  is  tempted  to  suggest  that 
I  am  reading  into  this  prophecy  of  Isaiah  the  reve- 
lation of  the  New  Testament,  I  would  reply,  I  am 
but  retaining  in  the  prophecy  its  own  fifty-third 
chapter.  In  the  New  Testament  itself  there  is  no 
passage  more  full  of  flashing  and  revealing  light 
concerning  the  grace  of  God  than  that  wonderful 
chapter. 

In  this  book,  then,  I  see  the  Throne  high  lifted, 
and  know  that  it  is  the  Throne  of  active  and  de- 
termined government ;  but  I  also  know  that  the 
inspiration  of  its  government  is  love. 

The  living  message  of  this  book  to  our  own 
age  is  that  submission  to  the  government  of 
God  is  the  one  sufficient  condition  for  the  fulfill- 
ment of  all  human  life,  whether  it  be  social, 
national  or  racial.  It  declares,  moreover,  that  the 
only  hope  of  the  restoration  of  man,  bruised  and 
broken  by  sin,  is  centred  in  the  grace  of  God. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH  105 

The  message  of  the  book,  therefore,  is  finally 
that  of  the  revelation  of  the  interrelation  between 
government  and  grace.  It  makes  it  impossible 
for  us  to  separate  these,  or  to  consider  them  as 
though  they  were  opposed  to  each  other.  In 
order  to  reap  the  benefits  of  the  grace  of  God,  it 
is  necessary  to  submit  to  His  government.  In 
order  to  submit  to  the  .government  of  God,  we 
must  be  prepared  to  receive  the  benefits  of  His 
grace.  Grace  is  not  an  activity  of  God  whereby 
He  vacates  His  Throne.  All  the  riches  of  grace 
are  at  our  disposal  as  we  kiss  the  sceptre  and 
bow  to  the  Throne. 

Having  been  brought  by  grace  into  right  rela- 
tionship to  government,  through  submission  to 
government  in  order  to  the  reception  of  the  gifts 
of  grace,  we  live  henceforth  within  that  govern- 
ment in  the  power  of  that  grace.  We  submit  to 
His  government  and  enter  into  His  grace.  We 
stand  in  His  grace  in  order  to  obey  His  govern- 
ment. 

The  revelation  of  this  book  is  that  of  the 
Throne  of  God.  It  matters  not  where  we  open 
it,  whether  we  read  the  message  of  fiery  denuncia- 
tion, or  the  song  of  the  coming  deliverance ; 
whether  we  hear  the  chariot  wheels  of  swift  and 


106  THE  MESSAGE  OF  ISAIAH 

awful  judgment,  or  listen  to  the  song  that  heralds 
the  dawning  of  the  day  of  restoration ;  in  every 
case,  message  or  song  comes  from  the  Throne. 
The  Presence  occupying  the  Throne  cannot  be 
defined,  but  in  the  midst  is  a  Lamb  as  it  had  been 
slain.  "He  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions, 
He  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities :  the  chastise- 
ment of  our  peace  was  upon  Him." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  Jehovah's  Judgment  oi  Sin.     Denunciation 

L  The  Impeachment     ii.  8,  19,  35. 
ii.  The  Process.     Failing  Kings  and  Policies, 
iii.  Jeremiah  Jehovah's  Spokesman. 

Alone,  unheeded,  persecuted,  but  persistent. 

II.  Jehovah's  Suffering  for  Sin.    Lamentation 

L  The  Man  of  His  appointing  shrinking. 
ii.  The    Man   of  His   making   identified  with   the 

Sorrow. 

The  Interpretation  in  Jesus. 
tfi.  Jeremiah  Jehovah's  Spokesman. 

Shrinking,  sorrowful,  in  profoundest  Fellow- 
ship with  God. 

(II.  Jehovah's  Victory  over  Sin.    Sustentation 

i.  The  Activity  of  Supremacy.    (See  Isa.  Ixiii.  1-7.) 

The  House  of  the  Potter, 
ii.  The  Prophecies  of  Hope. 
Uttered  in  Prison. 
Through  Trouble  to  Triumph. 
The  Days  of  the  Branch. 
iii.  Jeremiah  Jehovah's  Spokesman. 

Uttering  out  of  the  midst  of  Sin  and  Sorrow, 
the  Songs  of  sure  Victory. 


I.  Sin  is  sure  Destruction 

No  Policy  can  out- 
manoeuvre God. 

National  Rebellion  is 
National  Ruin. 

II.  The    Heart   of    God  I» 
wounded  by  Sin 

Judgment     is     His 

strange  Act. 
He   weeps    over    the 

Doom  Sin  brings. 


HI.  The  Victory  is  with  God 

He  will  make  it  again. 
His     Branch    is    ap- 
pointed. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH 

THERE  is  no  prophetic  book  concerning 
which  it  is  more  necessary  that  we  have 
in  mind  the  times  and  the  man  if  we  are 
to  discover  its  permanent  value  and  its  living 
message. 

These  general  facts  are  indicated  in  the  open- 
ing sentences  of  our  lecture  upon  the  content  of 
the  book,  "Jeremiah  was  Jehovah's  spokesman  in 
days  of  darkness  and  disaster."  That  is  a  very 
brief,  but  all-inclusive  sentence  reminding  us  of 
the  times  in  which  these  words  were  uttered,  and 
revealing  the  authority  of  the  man  who  uttered 
them.  The  times  were  days  of  darkness  and 
disaster.  The  man  was  Jehovah's  spokesman. 
Let  us  then  remind  ourselves  of  the  times  which 
in  a  sentence  are  described  as  days  of  darkness 
and  disaster.  Jeremiah  exercised  his  prophetic 
ministry  in  Judah  about  a  century  after  Isaiah 
had  delivered  his  last  message.  The  Northern 
kingdom  of  Israel  had  passed  away,  and  the 

whole  attention  is  centred  upon  Judah.      Two 

109 


no       THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH 

nations  affected  her  at  the  time ;  on  the  south, 
Egypt,  and  on  the  east,  Assyria.  During  the 
time  that  Jeremiah  exercised  his  ministry  Judah 
was  attempting  either  to  play  these  off  one 
against  the  other,  or  was  hesitating  as  to  which 
she  should  make  an  alliance  with,  in  order  to 
protect  herself  from  the  enmity  of  the  other.  A 
recognition  of  these  facts  will  enable  us  to  under- 
stand the  reason  of  the  terrible  condition  in 
which  she  found  herself.  Her  vision  of  God  was 
dimmed,  if  she  had  not  lost  it  altogether.  Her 
hope  lay  not  in  Him,  her  one  and  only  King, 
but  in  her  ability  either  to  stir  up  strife  between 
these  two  nations,  or  to  secure  the  aid  of  one 
against  the  other.  Her  internal  condition  was 
equally  terrible.  Isaiah  had  delivered  his  great 
messages  in  Hezekiah's  reign.  Immediately 
succeeding  Hezekiah  Manasseh  came  to  the 
throne.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  there  was 
a  place  of  repentance  found  for  him,  his  reign 
was  characterized  by  reaction  from  the  influence 
of  Hezekiah  ;  he  set  up  altars  and  idolatry  even 
in  the  courts  of  the  house  of  the  Lord.  The 
nation  sank  lower  and  lower.  The  brief  reign 
of  Amon  was  a  failure.  Then  followed  the  period 
of  Josiah.  When  he  had  been  upon  the  throne 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH       in 

for  twelve  or  thirteen  years  Jeremiah  commenced 
his  ministry,  which  lasted  at  least  forty-six  years, 
being  exercised  through  the  reigns  of  Josiah, 
Jehoahaz,  Jehoiakim,  Jehoiachin  and  Zedekiah, 
and  during  the  early  part  of  the  exile.  It  is  but 
to  name  these  kings  to  be  reminded  of  the  dark- 
ness of  the  days.  The  national  movement  was 
downward,  the  people  sinking  ever  lower.  The 
reform  under  Josiah  was  entirely  upon  the  sur- 
face of  things  so  far  as  the  people  were  con- 
cerned. There  was  no  vital  change  wrought  in 
their  character.  Jehoahaz  reigned  for  thirteen 
months  in  the  midst  of  evil  of  every  description. 
Under  Jehoiakim,  evil  became  even  more  wide- 
spread, and  deeper.  Jehoiachin  reigned  briefly 
and  was  deposed.  Then  came  Zedekiah,  a  man 
meaning  well,  but  preeminently  weak,  and  the 
vassal  of  another  nation.  Never  for  one  single 
moment  during  the  forty  or  more  years  of  his 
ministry  did  Jeremiah  arrest  the  downward  prog- 
ress of  the  people  ;  never  by  anything  he  said, 
never  by  anything  he  suffered,  never  by  any- 
thing he  did  was  he  able  to  check  that  de- 
terioration. The  description  of  the  darkness 
of  the  times  has  thus  been  given  by  Dr.  Moore- 
head  : — 


112       THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH 

"  It  was  Jeremiah's  lot  to  prophesy  at  a  time 
when  all  things  in  Judah  were  rushing  down  to 
the  final  and  mournful  catastrophe ;  when  polit- 
ical excitement  was  at  its  height;  when  the 
worst  passions  swayed  the  various  parties,  and 
the  most  fatal  counsels  prevailed ;  ...  to 
.  .  .  see  his  own  people,  whom  he  loved 
with  the  tenderness  of  a  woman,  plunge  over 
the  precipice  into  the  wide,  weltering  ruin." 

No  words  could  more  graphically  portray  the 
times.  The  prophesying  of  other  men  always 
seems  to  have  produced  periods  of  reformation. 
Even  if  Isaiah  had  at  last  to  say,  "  Who  hath 
believed  our  report?  and  to  whom  hath  the  arm 
of  the  Lord  been  revealed  ? "  his  influence  was 
nevertheless  manifest  in  Hezekiah,  and  in  the 
reformation  under  him.  Jeremiah,  on  the  other 
hand,  watched  the  ruin  of  his  people,  saw  them 
rush  headlong  to  the  final  calamity,  constantly 
uttering  the  word  of  God  to  them  out  of  a  heart 
filled  with  despair. 

Then  also  we  must  look  at  Jeremiah  himself. 
It  is  not  carelessly  that  I  have  described  him  as 
the  spokesman  of  Jehovah.  It  is  quite  impos- 
sible to  lay  any  great  emphasis  on  the  full  mean- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH        113 

ing  of  his  name  simply  because  no  one  knows 
exactly  what  its  real  significance  was.  There  is, 
however,  one  quantity  included  in  it  concerning 
which  there  can  be  no  question.  It  has  been 
suggested  that  the  name  means  Jehovah  ap- 
pointed. Hengstenberg  affirmed  that  it  signified 
Jehovah  throws,  the  idea  being  that  of  God 
throwing  and  overthrowing,  Jeremiah  being  the 
instrument  of  His  activity.  It  has  also  been  de- 
clared that  the  name  means  Jehovah  exalts. 
Yet  again  there  are  those  who  maintain,  and  I 
personally  incline  to  this  view,  that  the  name 
signified  Jehovah  founded.  Without  laying  un- 
due emphasis  upon  that,  however,  it  is  noticeable 
that  every  suggestion  relates  the  man  to  Jeho- 
vah, whether  the  thought  be  appointed,  or 
throws,  exalts,  or  founded.  Moreover,  that  dec- 
laration is  made  in  the  opening  chapter  of  the 
prophecy  : — 

"Now  the  word  of  Jehovah  came  unto  me,  saying, 
Before  I  formed  thee  in  the  belly  I  knew  thee,  and  before 
thou  earnest  forth  out  of  the  womb  I  sanctified  thee;  I 
have  appointed  thee  a  prophet  unto  the  nations." 

That  is  a  distinct  declaration  that  he  was  fore- 
ordained to  the  ministry  exercised.  To  that 
declaration  Jeremiah  replied,  "  Ah,  Lord  God  J 


114       THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH 

behold,  I  cannot  speak,  for  I  am  a  child,"  and 
continuing  his  story  the  prophet  declares  : — 

"  Say  not,  I  am  a  child  :  for  to  whomsoever  I  shall  send 
thee  thou  shalt  go,  and  whatsoever  I  shall  command  thee 
thou  shalt  speak.  Be  not  afraid  because  of  them :  for  I 
am  with  thee  to  deliver  thee,  saith  Jehovah.  Then  Jeho- 
vah put  forth  His  hand,  and  touched  my  mouth  ;  and 
Jehovah  said  unto  me,  Behold,  I  have  put  My  words  in 
thy  mouth ;  see,  I  have  this  day  set  thee  over  the  nations 
and  over  the  kingdoms,  to  pluck  up  and  to  break  down, 
and  to  destroy  and  to  overthrow  ;  to  build,  and  to  plant." 

Thus  it  is  evident  that  he  was  foreordained,  per- 
fectly equipped,  and  Divinely  appointed  to  that 
long,  forlorn  ministry  which  he  so  heroically  and 
graciously  fulfilled. 

We  may  also  look  at  the  man  as  to  his  per- 
sonal character,  for  there  is  no  prophet  who  has 
given  us  so  clear  a  revelation  of  himself  as  Jere- 
miah, and  yet  there  was  no  other  who  shrank 
from  publicity  as  he  did.  Because  his  message 
was  of  the  very  bone  and  fibre  and  sinew  of  him, 
because  he  entered  both  into  the  life  of  his 
people  and  into  that  of  Jehovah,  and  because  he 
spoke  to  them  in  such  disastrous  circumstances, 
the  picture  of  the  man  is  clearly  stamped  upon 
the  page  of  his  prophecy.  There  are  three 
things  apparent,  his  simplicity,  his  sensitive- 
ness, and  his  strength.  His  absolute  simplicity 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH        115 

manifested  itself  when  the  command  first  came  to 
him,  "  Ah,  Lord  God  1  Behold  I  cannot  speak : 
for  I  am  a  child."  He  never  lost  the  child  heart 
and  the  child  nature.  His  sensitiveness  is  seen 
in  the  way  in  which  he  shrank  from  his  work. 
Even  in  hours  of  sacred  fellowship  with  Jehovah 
he  protested  against  having  to  deliver  the  mes- 
sages of  judgment.  He  felt  all  the  pain  of  the 
judgments  falling  upon  his  people.  He  was, 
moreover,  a  man  of  absolute  and  overwhelming 
strength.  If  his  nature  was  so  simple  that  he 
had  to  say,  "  I  am  a  child  "  ;  if  his  sensitiveness 
of  soul  was  such  that  he  constantly  shrank  from 
delivering  his  messages,  his  strength  was  such 
that  he  spoke  every  word  that  God  gave  him  to 
speak. 

No  prophet  in  the  long  line  was  more  like 
Christ  than  Jeremiah.  He  was  a  fit  instrument 
for  uttering  the  truth  of  the  throne  in  days  when 
its  government  was  rejected  and  its  grace 
neglected.  It  is  most  necessary  in  days  when 
government  is  rejected  and  grace  neglected  that 
the  voice  of  the  Throne  should  be  heard.  Jere- 
miah was  the  fitting  spokesman  of  that  Throne. 
Chosen  and  known  before  his  birth,  equipped  by 
the  touch  of  God  upon  his  lips,  in  his  simple 


ii6       THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH 

nature  he  was  a  perfect  instrument  through 
whom  God  was  able  to  speak  ;  in  the  sensitive- 
ness of  his  heart  he  was  a  revelation  to  men  of 
the  !ove  of  God  ;  and  in  the  strength  that  dared 
he  was  able  to  cooperate  with  God. 

All  this  brings  us  to  an  understanding  of  the 
permanent  value  of  the  book.  It  is  the  reve- 
lation of  God  in  the  midst  of  an  age  of  unutter- 
able failure.  That  revelation  is  threefold. 

First,  it  is  that  of  Jehovah's  judgment  of  sin. 
Jeremiah  saw  in  all  the  destruction,  and  devasta- 
tion, and  sweeping  ruin,  God's  activity  revealing 
God's  attitude  towards  sin.  Secondly  it  is  that 
of  Jehovah's  suffering  for  sin.  In  the  story  of 
Jeremiah's  shrinking  and  pain  and  tears  we  have 
a  picture  of  a  man  in  such  perfect  fellowship  with 
God,  that  through  him  God  was  able  to  reveal 
His  own  suffering  in  the  presence  of  sin. 
Thirdly,  it  is  that  of  Jehovah's  victory  over  sin. 
In  Jeremiah's  moral  and  hopeful  triumph  over 
sin  even  in  prison,  we  have  evidence  of  the  cer- 
tainty of  God's  ultimate  victory. 

First,  then,  this  book  reveals  through  the  min- 
istry of  Jeremiah,  God^s  judgment  of  sin.  In  the 
second  chapter  is  recorded  the  prophet's  impeach- 
ment of  the  nation.  Let  us  recall  some  of  his 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH        117 

statements.  A  graphic  picture  of  the  degrada- 
tion of  those  in  authority  is  found  in  the  eighth 
verse : — 

"  The  priests  said  not,  Where  is  Jehovah  ?  and  they  that 
handle  the  law  knew  Me  not :  the  rulers  also  transgressed 
against  Me,  and  the  prophets  prophesied  by  Baal,  and 
walked  after  things  that  do  not  profit." 

In  the  nineteenth  verse  the  prophet  declares  the 
relation  between  wickedness  and  judgment : — 


"  Thine  own  wickedness  shall  correct  thee,  and  thy 
backslidings  shall  reprove  thee  :  know  therefore  and  see  that 
it  is  an  evil  thing  and  bitter,  that  thou  hast  forsaken  Je- 
hovah thy  God,  and  that  My  fear  is  not  in  thee,  saith  the 
Lord,  Jehovah  of  hosts." 


In  the  thirty-fifth  verse  the  most  sinful  of  all  sins 
is  revealed : — 


"  Yet  thou  saidst,  I  am  innocent ;  surely  His  anger  is 
turned  away  from  me.  Behold,  I  will  enter  into  judgment 
with  thee,  because  thou  sayest,  I  have  not  sinned." 


Thus  the  message  of  Jeremiah  to  his  own  people 
was  one  which  persistently  declared  that  their 
ruin  was  the  result  of  their  sin.  Politicians  would 
have  attributed  the  national  trouble  to  the  diffi- 
culty of  their  position,  having  Egypt  on  the 


u8       THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH 

south  and  Assyria  on  the  east.  The  prophet  de- 
clared that  the  reason  was  in  themselves.  They 
had  forgotten  God,  and  were  discussing  policy 
and  arrangement,  instead  of  putting  away  sin. 

Then  observe  the  process  of  Divine  judgment 
as  Jeremiah  explained  it.  We  read  the  history 
merely  and  say,  What  an  unfortunate  succession 
of  kings  ;  how  singularly  these  people  failed  to 
produce  statesmen  who  were  able  to  cope  with 
the  political  situation.  This  lonely  figure,  ob- 
serving the  race  to  ruin,  said,  The  failure 
of  your  kings  and  the  failure  of  your  policy 
prove  that  the  hand  of  God  is  upon  you  in 
judgment.  It  is  He  Who  breaks  down  the 
power  of  your  king.  It  is  He  Who  will  bring  to 
nought  your  intrigue  with  Egypt,  and  hand  your 
city  over  to  the  Assyrian  who  is  already  at  your 
gates.  He  declared  that  the  process  of  judg- 
ment was  that  of  the  direct  action  of  God. 
Jeremiah  stood,  Jehovah's  spokesman,  alone,  un- 
heeded, persecuted,  but  insistent ;  and  events 
moved  on  and  vindicated  him,  as  Jehovah 
crushed  and  broke,  and  cast  away  the  people 
who  had  sinned  against  Him. 

I  would  to  God  a  voice  like  that  of  Jeremiah 
might  be  heard  to-day,  calling  men  back  to  reo- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH       119 

ognltion  of  the  fact  that  all  ruin  and  loss  and 
national  decay  are  due  first  to  the  fact  that  we 
forget  God,  and  then  to  the  fact  that  God  lifts  up 
or  breaks  down  according  to  whether  or  not  a 
nation  is  living  in  right  relationship  to  Himself. 

This  figure  of  Jeremiah  is  full  of  majestic 
force.  Though  he  spoke  so  long  ago,  his  voice 
is  a  living  voice  to-day.  The  things  he  said 
during  those  years  of  hopeless  ministry  have  ap- 
plication to  all  nations  through  all  time.  The 
root  sin  of  national  life  is  forgetfulness  of  God, 
and  consequent  rebellion  against  Him.  The 
failure  of  kings  and  politicians,  the  matters  of 
which  we  speak  as  the  misfortunes  of  the  age, 
are  evidences  that  God  has  not  abandoned  the 
Throne  of  supremacy. 

I  look  again  and  see,  through  this  man's  suf- 
fering, a  revelation  of  the  most  overwhelming 
and  astonishing  description ;  that  namely  of 
Jehovah's  suffering  for  sin.  Do  not  let  us  forget 
the  beginning  of  this  story,  those  words  we  have 
already  read,  "  Before  I  formed  thee  ...  I 
knew  thee."  Jeremiah  was  formed  by  God  ac- 
cording to  a  pattern  of  Divine  foreknowledge. 
This  man  of  God's  formation  and  appointment 
is  seen  shrinking,  not  from  the  delivery  of  the 


120       THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH 

message,  but  because  of  the  pain  he  saw  coming 
to  his  own  people.     He  cried  out  in  his  anguish, 


"  Oh,  that  my  head  were  waters,  and  mine  eyes  a  foun- 
tain of  tears,  that  I  might  weep  day  and  night  for  the  slain 
of  the  daughter  of  my  people  !  " 


The  prophet's  agony  created  his  need  of  being 
strengthened  whenever  he  received  the  messages 
of  Jehovah.  In  the  central  lamentation  he  iden- 
tified himself  with  the  sufferings  of  his  people, 
expressing  all  the  sorrows  that  he  had  described 
in  the  earlier  sections,  as  though  they  were  his 
own.  We  have  read  this  prophecy  very  care- 
lessly if  we  have  simply  seen  in  it  the  sorrows  of 
a  man,  "  Oh,  that  my  head  were  waters,  and  mine 
eyes  a  fountain  of  tears,  that  I  might  weep  day 
and  night  for  the  slain  of  the  daughter  of  my 
people."  Can  we  find  anything  to  match  that  ? 
We  have  already  done  so.  We  have  travelled 
through  the  centuries  until  we  have  stood  upon 
the  slopes  of  Olivet  with  a  Man  more  lonely  than 
Jeremiah,  and  have  seen  Him  looking  at  Jeru- 
salem, and  have  heard  Him  pronounce  its  doom, 
weeping  as  He  did  so.  That  is  the  fulfillment  of 
the  prophecy  of  Jeremiah.  The  stern  denuncia- 
tion that  doomed  Jerusalem  was  uttered  in  a  voice 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH        121 

choked  with  emotion,  while  the  eyes  were  suf- 
fused with  tears,  as  they  saw  the  fire  that  soon 
was  to  destroy  it 

The  interpretation  of  Jeremiah's  suffering  is 
to  be  found  in  the  suffering  of  Jesus,  and  the 
interpretation  of  the  suffering  of  Jesus  is  to  be 
found  in  the  suffering  of  God.  Jeremiah  stood 
as  Jehovah's  spokesman,  shrinking  and  sorrow- 
ful, because  he  entered  into  the  profoundest 
fellowship  with  God. 

A  wonderful  revelation  is  this.  Stern  denun- 
ciation of  sin  continued  through  all  the  processes 
of  ruin,  no  truce  with  it,  no  excuse  for  it  even 
though  such  denunciation  resulted  in  stripes,  bru- 
tality, and  the  dungeon ;  never  flinching,  never 
excusing,  never  condoning ;  yet  all  the  while  the 
message  accompanied  by  the  flow  of  tears  and 
uttered  in  tones  of  anguish. 

Once  again,  there  is  revealed  in  this  prophecy 
the  fact  of  Jehovah's  victory  over  sin.  There  is 
no  figure  in  the  Bible  that  sets  forth  the  sover- 
eignty of  God  so  uncompromisingly  as  that  of 
the  potter  and  the  clay. 

"  O  house  of  Israel,  cannot  I  do  with  you  as  this  potter  ? 
saith  the  Lord.  Behold,  as  the  clay  in  the  potter's  hand, 
so  are  ye  in  Mine  hand,  O  house  of  Israel  " 


122       THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH 

How  we  have  trembled  in  the  presence  of  those 
words.  The  potter  moulds  the  clay  as  he 
pleases,  and  the  clay  cannot  object.  It  has  no 
right  to  object.  That  is  the  doctrine  of  absolute 
sovereignty.  It  cannot  fail  to  make  the  heart 
tremble ;  but  let  us  carefully  note  the  use  Jere- 
miah makes  of  this  figure.  In  words  full  of 
beauty  he  declares  the  ultimate  activity  of  sov- 
ereignty. 


"  When  the  vessel  that  he  made  of  the  clay  was  marred 
in  the  hand  of  the  potter,  he  made  it  again  another  vessel, 
as  seemed  good  to  the  potter  to  make  it." 


If  there  were  nothing  but  the  figure  of  the  potter 
with  its  awe-inspiring  revelation  of  sovereignty, 
I  should  be  broken  and  crushed  with  hopeless- 
ness, but  there  is  more.  There  is  the  declaration 
of  the  ultimate  activity  of  sovereignty,  "  he  made 
it  again."  That  was  the  great  message  of  Jere- 
miah. Think  of  him  as  he  watched  the  people 
he  loved  rushing  to  ruin,  feeling  all  the  time  in 
his  heart  the  very  anguish  of  God  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  disaster ;  and  then  uttering  this  high 
word  which  seemed  as  though  it  never  could  be 
fulfilled,  "  He  made  it  again  another  vessel." 
Then  come  to  the  central  chapters  of  the  book 


THE  MESSAGEiOF  JEREMIAH        123 

and  listen  to  him  in  the  darkest  day,  the  day  in 
which  he  was  in  the  innermost  dungeon.  It  was 
then  that  he  wrote  the  prophecies  of  hope  con- 
tained in  chapters  thirty  to  thirty-three.  When 
he  spoke  of  Jacob's  trouble  he  declared  it  was 
trouble  that  proceeded  to  triumph.  He  believed 
that  ultimately  God  would  work  out  the  purpose 
of  His  love  and  the  purpose  of  His  grace.  In 
this  aspect  also,  therefore,  Jeremiah  stood  the 
spokesman  of  Jehovah,  and  out  of  the  midst  of 
sorrow  and  sin  gave  utterance  to  the  songs  of 
certain  victory. 

The  permanent  values  of  this  book  constitute 
its  living  message.  I  utter  that  in  briefest  sen- 
tences. First,  it  teaches  us  that  sin  is  its  own 
destruction.  No  policy  can  outmanreuver  God. 
National  rebellion  is  national  ruin.  Sin  carries 
within  itself  the  force  of  its  own  punishment  and 
its  own  retribution.  Secondly,  it  affirms  that  the 
heart  of  God  is  wounded  by  sin.  Judgment  is 
His  strange  act.  He  weeps  over  the  doom  of  a 
city.  Finally  it  declares  that  the  ultimate  victory 
is  with  God,  "  He  made  it  again."  The  Branch 
is  appointed.  The  King-Priest  has  come. 

We  are  to  learn  that  God  must  punish  sin, 
that  the  most  awful  fact  of  sin  is  that  it  wounds 


124       THE  MESSAGE  OF  JEREMIAH 

God ;  and  finally,  that  if  we  will  but  have  it  so, 
if  we  will  but  turn  to  Him  and  listen  to  His  call, 
He  overrules  by  cancelling,  and  breaking  the 
power  of  sin,  makes  again  the  vessel  marred  in 
the  hand  of  the  potter. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUE 


B 

THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  The  Vision  of  God 

The  embodied  Attributes. 

The  Face  of  a  Lion.        Supremacy. 

The  Face  of  an  Ox.         Service. 

The  Face  of  a  Man.        Manifestation. 

The  Face  of  an  Eagle.    Mystery. 
The  Wheels  of  Procedure. 
The  Spirit  of  Life. 
The  Atmosphere  of  flashing  Light  and  Fire. 

II.  The  Bearing  on  Circumstances 

i.  These  all  present  in  Reprobation  and  Restora- 
tion. 

The  Authority  claimed. 
The  Actual  Working  through 

Pain. 
The  Ceaseless  Purpose. 

"  That  ye  may  know." 
The  Reticence. 
Of  the  first  Vision. 
Of  the  last  Statement. 

"  The  Lord  is  there." 
ii.  Progressively  revealed. 

a.  Supremacy.         Judgment 

A    <:».-»;/..  /  The  Shepherd. 

*  ServlCe'  \  The  Valley  of  Bones. 

f.  Manifestation.     The  new  Order. 

d.  Mystery.  The  last  Word. 

III.  Such  a  Vision  of  God  the  Reason  of  Hope 

f  Sin  was  most  sinful. 
In  its  Light.  <  Judgment  was  most  sure. 
(  Victory  was  most  certain. 


a.  Supremacy. 

b.  Service. 

f.  Manifestation. 
d.  Mystery. 


I.  For  a  comprehensive 
Outlook  it  is  neces- 
sary to  pass  beyond 
Principles  and  Prac- 
tice, to  the  Person 
The  Incarnation  God's 
Answer  to  that  Need. 


II.  Having  that  Answer  we 
must  know  the  Person 

"  Acquaint  now  thyself 
with  Him,  and  be  at 
peace." 

"That  I  may  know 
Him.  .  .  ." 


HI.  That  Knowledge  will 
produce  the  Song  of 
Hope 

i.  We  shall  see  the  Sin. 
ii.  We   shall   proclaim  the 

Judgment. 

iii.  We  shall  rejoice  in 
Hope. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL 

OF  the  prophet  Ezekiel  it  has  been  said 
that  "he  was  the  prolongation  of  the 
voice  of  Jeremiah  "  ;  and  it  is  certainly 
true  that  no  one  can  study  carefully  the  prophe- 
cies of  these  two  men  without  discovering  the  in- 
fluence of  Jeremiah  upon  Ezekiel.  It  is  evident 
throughout  that  in  his  life,  in  his  outlook  and  in 
his  conceptions  Ezekiel  had  been  affected  by  the 
prophetic  message  of  Jeremiah.  This  is  perfectly 
natural  when  we  remember  the  circumstances  in 
which  Ezekiel  exercised  his  ministry.  He  com- 
menced that  ministry  in  the  fifth  year  of  the 
captivity,  and  in  the  verse  which  chronicles  this 
fact  for  us  in  the  opening  of  the  book,  a  reference 
is  made  to  "the  thirtieth  year."  It  is  almost 
certain  that  the  reference  is  to  his  age.  He  was 
a  priest,  and  in  harmony  with  the  Mosaic  econ- 
omy, at  that  age  he  should  have  entered  upon 
his  priestly  work  ;  but  there  was  no  temple,  and 
therefore  no  official  work  for  the  priest ;  and  he 

was  called  to  exercise  a  prophetic  ministry.     If, 

127 


128         THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL 

then,  that  ministry  was  commenced  in  the  thirtieth 
year  of  his  age,  and  the  fifth  year  of  the  captivity, 
it  is  at  once  evident  that  during  the  first  twenty- 
five  years  of  his  life,  Jeremiah  was  prophesying. 
From  his  earliest  childhood,  and  through  the 
formative  and  impressionable  years  of  youth  and 
young  manhood,  he  was  familiar  with  the  min- 
istry of  this  lonely  man.  Familiarity  with  his 
prophecy  shows  that  his  outlook  on  the  corruption 
of  his  people,  on  the  judgments  of  God,  and  his 
vision  of  light  upon  the  Eastern  sky  which 
predicted  the  dawn  of  a  brighter  day,  was  prac- 
tically identical  with  those  of  Jeremiah.  His 
dealing  with  prevalent  corruption  was  as  severe 
as  was  that  of  Jeremiah,  and  his  messages  of 
judgment  were  equally  stern.  He  never  melted 
to  tears  as  did  Jeremiah,  but  his  vision  of  the 
ultimate  deliverance  of  the  people  by  the  triumph 
of  Jehovah  was  even  clearer.  His  vision  was 
characterized  by  penetration,  and  perhaps  the 
word  through  best  describes  the  quality  of  the 
prophecy.  His  messages  were  addressed,  in  the 
first  place,  to  the  exiles  on  the  banks  of  the  River 
Chebar  ;  and  yet  it  is  evident  that  through  them 
he  spoke  to  all  Israel.  Morever,  he  distinctly 
affirms,  in  the  course  of  his  prophecy,  that  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL         129 

application  of  the  truths  he  enunciated  is  to  all 
men,  so  that  he  not  only  spoke  through  the  exiles 
to  Israel,  but  through  Israel  to  men  of  all  nation- 
alities and  of  all  times.  He  saw  the  prevailing 
conditions,  the  ruin  of  his  people,  the  obstinacy 
and  rebellion  even  among  the  exiles  in  the  midst 
of  whom  he  lived,  but  through  all  these  he  saw 
the  eternal  verities  as  to  their  foundations  and  as 
to  their  principles. 

It  was  George  Herbert  who  sang  : — 

"  A  man  that  looks  on  glass, 
On  it  may  stay  his  eye  j 
Or  if  he  pleaseth  through  it  pass, 
And  thus  the  heaven  espy." 

Ezekiel  saw  the  glass,  but  he  saw  through  it. 
Accurately  observing  the  temporal,  he  as  surely 
perceived  beyond  it  the  eternal.  He  was  sen- 
sitively conscious  of  the  material,  but  supremely 
conscious  of  the  spiritual.  In  all  probability 
Jeremiah's  prophecies  of  hope  were  the  inspiration 
of  Ezekiel's,  but  it  may  be  that  the  absence  of 
tears  and  lamentation  in  the  messages  of  Ezekiel 
was  due  to  the  fact  that  his  vision  of  God,  and 
His  processes,  and  His  ultimate  victory  was 
clearer  than  that  of  Jeremiah.  His  recognition  of 
the  reprobation  of  his  people  was  acute,  and  yet  he 


130         THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL 

foretold  the  certainty  of  their  restoration  with  a 
note  of  profoundest  assurance,  and  an  outlook  of 
more  spacious  sweep  than  any  other  prophet  of  the 
illustrious  line. 

The  permanent  value  of  the  prophecy  is  that 
of  its  revelation  of  the  reason  of  this  man's  hope. 
Jeremiah  was  not  without  hope.  Moreover,  the 
messages  in  which  he  gave  expression  to  his 
hope  were  uttered  in  days  when  he  himself  was 
in  prison.  Therein  is  a  proof  of  the  strength  of 
his  hope.  Nevertheless,  at  other  times  his  mes- 
sages seem  altogether  devoid  of  that  element. 
In  the  prophecy  of  Ezekiel  the  note  of  hope  rings 
clear  and  jubilant  throughout.  We  would  fain 
discover  the  secret  of  this  superabounding  and 
jubilant  confidence.  The  present  outlook  in 
some  senses  is  dark  enough,  and  we  would  fain 
discover  the  secret  of  rejoicing  in  hope  even  ot* 
the  darkest  day.  It  is  an  arresting  fact  that 
a  man  in  more  hopeless  condition,  in  some 
senses,  than  that  in  which  Jeremiah  lived,  being 
himself  a  captive  by  the  River  Chebar,  among  a 
band  of  exiles  the  most  obstinate  and  rebellious, 
seeing  that  his  people  were  reprobate,  cast  away, 
was  nevertheless  full  of  hope,  and  of  the  certainty 
of  ultimate  restoration. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL         131 

The  secret  is  revealed  at  the  beginning1  of  his 
book.  That  which  filled  his  heart  with  hope,  and 
made  him  able  to  sing  the  song  of  coming  vic- 
tory on  the  darkest  day,  was  his  vision  of  Jehovah. 
The  peculiar  quality  of  that  vision  was  that  of 
manifestation.  At  first  sight  that  statement 
hardly  seems  as  though  it  could  possibly  be  cor- 
rect. The  first  impression  made  by  the  account 
which  he  gives  of  the  vision  he  beheld  is  that  of 
mystery  rather  than  of  manifestation.  While 
recognizing  the  mystery,  a  quite  simple  examina- 
tion of  the  prophet's  description  must  inevitably 
leave  upon  the  mind  the  sense  of  manifestation. 
The  key-word  to  the  vision  is  the  word  likeness. 
Likeness  means  that  which  reveals  something 
else.  The  root  idea  of  the  Hebrew  word  is  com- 
parison. Its  suggestion  is  exactly  that  of  the 
Greek  word  which  we  translate  parable.  I  do 
not  say  the  root  significance  is  the  same,  but  the 
suggestion  is  identical.  A  parable  is  something 
placed  by  the  side  of,  in  order  to  explanation.  It 
is  a  picture  intended  to  interpret  something, 
which  apart  from  it  might  not  be  clearly  under- 
stood. That  is  the  key-note  to  the  vision.  It 
was  a  likeness,  a  similitude,  a  parable,  a  picture. 
He  did  not  see  what  no  man  has  seen,  but  he 


132         THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL 

saw  visions  of  Jehovah  in  the  form  of  a  likeness. 
It  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  describe  the  visions 
save  in  the  broadest  outline.  What  Ezekiel  saw 
began  on  the  earth  but  it  did  not  end  there.  If 
for  the  sake  of  contemplation  we  may  temporarily 
forget  the  stately  and  wonderful  language  of 
Ezekiel  and  see  the  vision  in  barest,  almost 
rudest,  outline,  we  shall  be  helped  to  discover  the 
truth  it  suggested.  On  the  earth  the  central 
vision  was  that  of  four  living  ones,  surrounded 
by  wheels  moving  in  every  direction,  the  whole 
existing  in  an  atmosphere,  and  actuated  by  an 
energy  which  the  prophet  described  as  spirit. 
The  vision  did  not  end  there.  Above  the  firma- 
ment he  saw  a  throne,  and  on  the  throne  a  Man. 
The  things  on  the  earth  were  the  manifestations  of 
that  which  was  above  the  firmament,  and  beyond 
the  possibility  of  comprehension  apart  from  such 
manifestation.  The  supreme  and  central  verity 
upon  which  Ezekiel  looked  is  to  be  discovered 
by  examination,  not  of  the  wheels  which  suggest 
procedure,  not  of  the  Spirit  which  suggests 
energy,  but  of  the  living  ones.  I  do  not  say  that 
the  other  things  are  unnecessary,  but  it  is  not  our 
business  now  to  deal  with  them,  and  their  won- 
derful and  infinite  suggestiveness.  At  the  centre 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL         133 

were  the  four  living  ones,  and  they  constituted  a 
revelation  or  manifestation  of  the  infinite  mystery 
of  the  Being  Who  occupied  the  throne  above  the 
firmament.  This  vision,  and  its  bearing  on  the 
circumstances  in  the  midst  of  which  Ezekiel 
lived,  constituted  the  reason  of  his  hope.  This 
vision  therefore  creates  the  permanent  value  of 
the  book  and  its  living  message. 

Let  us  retrace  our  steps  in  order  that  we  may 
see  the  relation  of  this  book  to  those  which  have 
preceded  it,  so  far  as  their  permanent  values  are 
concerned.  The  permanent  values  of  Isaiah  are 
its  revelation  of  the  throne,  and  the  fundamental 
principles  of  government  and  grace.  The  perma- 
nent values  of  Jeremiah  are  its  revelation  of  the 
activities  of  Jehovah,  His  judgment  on  sin,  His 
suffering  for  sin,  and  His  victory  over  sin.  The 
permanent  value  of  Ezekiel  is  its  unveiling  of 
the  essential  facts  in  the  nature  of  God. 

The  central  symbolism  on  the  earth  was  that 
of  the  four  living  creatures,  each  one  of  which 
faced  in  four  directions,  each  face  suggesting  a 
different  idea  by  the  differing  symbolism  of  a 
man,  a  lion,  an  ox,  and  an  eagle.  Moreover, 
these  four  were  so  placed  at  the  four  corners  of  a 
square  that  the  face  of  a  man  looked  every  way, 


134         THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL 

the  face  of  a  lion  looked  every  way,  tbe  face  of  an 
ox  looked  every  way,  and  the  face  oi  an  eagle 
looked  every  way.  Thus  in  the  unity  of  the  four 
the  same  truths  were  suggested  as  in  the  unity  of 
each.  Each  had  four  faces,  and  the  whole  square 
had  the  same  fourfold  revelation. 

Now  we  may  enquire  as  to  the  suggest! veness 
of  this  ancient  symbolism.  It  has  been  affirmed 
that  it  was  borrowed  from  Babylon  or  Nineveh, 
or  from  both.  Personally  I  have  no  quarrel  with 
that  contention.  The  making  of  an  idol  on  the 
part  of  man  originated  in  an  attempt,  however 
crude,  however  base,  however  mean,  to  embody 
thought  about  Deity.  The  very  highest  results 
of  this  process  were  reached  in  those  pagan 
civilizations  outside  the  economy  of  Israel ;  the 
highest  result,  that  is,  of  man's  attempt  to  under- 
stand, apart  from  the  light  of  direct  revelation. 
Here  is  the  difference  between  all  such  religions, 
and  that  of  Israel.  The  religion  of  Israel  was 
not  the  result  of  man's  attempt  to  understand, 
but  of  God's  direct  revelation.  His  method  of 
revelation  was  constantly  that  of  seizing  upon 
an  element  of  truth  in  a  false  system,  redeem- 
ing it,  purifying  it,  and  making  it  a  medium  of 
revelation.  As  another  illustration  of  the  prin- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL          135 

liple,  the  ark  of  the  covenant  may  be  cited.  It 
has  been  affirmed  that  Moses  was  influenced  by 
things  he  had  seen  in  Egypt,  and  it  is  perfectly 
true  that  in  certain  systems  of  religion  in  Egypt 
at  the  centre  of  a  ritual  was  an  ark ;  and  thus  it 
is  seen  that  there  was  an  element  of  truth  in  the 
thinking  of  men.  The  final  difference,  however, 
between  the  sacred  arks  of  Egypt,  and  the  ark 
of  the  covenant,  consisted  first  in  what  they  con- 
tained, and  secondly  and  preeminently,  in  what 
men  were  taught  concerning  them. 

This  symbolism  of  Ezekiel's  vision  may  have 
been  Babylonish  or  Assyrian.  Admitting  that, 
let  us  enquire  of  what  these  visions  were  sym- 
bols. For  the  moment  I  am  perfectly  content  to 
enquire  of  Babylon,  or  to  ask  Nineveh,  and  I 
shall  attempt  to  state  the  answer  in  terms  of  the 
abstract.  The  lion  was  the  symbol  of  suprem- 
acy. The  ox  was  the  symbol  of  service.  The 
man  was  the  symbol  of  manifestation.  The 
eagle  was  the  symbol  of  mystery.  Supremacy 
suggested  kingship,  and  the  lion  was  the  symbol 
of  the  king.  Service  suggested  sacrifice,  and  the 
ox  was  the  symbol  of  the  servant.  Manifestation 
suggested  the  unveiling  of  life  at  its  best,  and 
man  was  the  symbol  of  man.  Mystery  suggested 


136         THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL 

the  unfathomable,  and  the  eagle  was  the  symbol 
oi  Deity. 

It  has  often  been  affirmed  that  Ezekiel  was  a 
man  saturated  with  pagan  ideas,  and  that  by  the 
River  Chebar  he  passed  through  a  certain  psycho- 
logical experience  as  the  result  of  which  he  came 
to  imagine  that  the  familiar  symbols  he  saw 
engraven  on  heathen  temples  were  visions  of 
God.  There  is  an  element  of  truth  in  the  state- 
ment ;  the  fact  being  that  God  took  hold  of  the 
symbolism  in  the  midst  of  which  His  captive 
people  lived,  and  made  use  of  it  for  revealing  to 
the  prophet  the  comprehensive  truth  that  in  His 
Being,  supremacy  and  service,  manifestation  and 
mystery,  are  merged  in  awe-inspiring  unity.  If 
in  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah  we  saw  the  Throne 
and  its  fundamental  principles,  and  in  those  of 
Jeremiah  we  discovered  the  activities  of  the  One 
Who  occupies  the  throne  ;  in  those  of  Ezekiel  we 
have  the  unveiling  of  the  nature  of  God. 

Ezekiel  was  also  conscious  of  the  Throne  and 
the  principles  of  the  Divine  government  ;  he  dis- 
tinguished clearly  the  activities  of  God  ;  but  his 
supreme  vision  was  that  of  God  Himself.  He 
saw  Him  manifest  in  the  midst  of  the  strange 
revolving  wheels  of  procedure,  and  the  resistless 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL         137 

energy  which  he  spoke  of  as  the  spirit.  There 
was  revealed  to  him  the  embodiment  of  the 
essential  attributes  of  Deity,  unqualified  suprem- 
acy and  sacrificial  service  ;  manifestation  in  the 
highest  form  of  life,  and  infinite,  unfathomable, 
and  finally  indefinable  mystery.  The  deep 
secret  of  Ezekiel's  hope  was  more  than  a  con- 
sciousness of  the  Throne  and  the  principles  of 
government,  more  than  the  conviction  of  the 
actual  activities  of  Jehovah,  it  was  acquaintance 
with  God  Himself. 

I  know  that  at  this  point  I  join  issue  with  a 
great  many  expositors  who  declare  that  the  vision 
of  Isaiah  was  greater  than  that  of  Ezekiel.  I  am 
compelled  to  say  I  cannot  accept  that  view.  If 
it  is  necessary  to  speak  of  degrees,  and  measure- 
ments, then  here  is  the  greatest  vision  of  all,  for 
in  it  there  is  unveiled  the  very  nature  of  God. 
The  issue  of  this  is  described  in  the  last  book 
of  the  Divine  library,  for  the  very  same  sym- 
bolism is  used  in  describing  the  figures  surround- 
ing the  throne.  The  seer  of  Patmos  observed 
the  four  living  creatures,  and  his  description  of 
them  exactly  coincides  with  the  vision  of  Ezekiel. 

This  finally  compels  our  recollection  of  the  in- 
spired presentation  of  the  Son  of  God  in  the 


138         THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL 

Gospels.  In  Matthew  He  is  presented  in  His 
supremacy  as  King ;  in  Mark  in  His  sacrificial 
service  as  Servant ;  in  Luke  in  His  perfect  mani- 
festation as  Man ;  in  John  in  His  infinite  and 
fathomless  mystery  as  God.  When  we  have 
seen  the  four  we  have  seen  the  One.  Finally,  as 
Ezekiel  in  the  older  vision  looked  above  the 
firmament  and  saw  the  Throne,  and  on  the 
Throne  the  likeness  of  a  Man ;  we  look  to-day 
beyond  the  firmament,  and  exactly  the  same 
vision  meets  the  eye  of  faith.  Thus  this  man  in 
the  distant  past,  without  knowing  perfectly  how 
in  the  economy  of  God  the  manifestation  would 
be  wrought  out  in  the  mystery  of  the  Incarna- 
tion, did  nevertheless  see  the  essential,  vital, 
eternal  facts  concerning  God  ;  that  He  is  su- 
preme ;  that  He  bends  in  service  to  the  point  of 
sacrifice ;  that  He  in  Himself  is  all  that  man  is, 
for  man  is  in  His  likeness ;  and  that  He  in  Him- 
self is  more  than  man  is,  in  the  infinite  mystery 
of  Deity.  In  view  of  this  vision  I  no  longer 
wonder  that  Ezekiel  was  the  prophet  of  hope. 

Mark  the  bearing  of  this  vision  of  God  upon 
all  the  circumstances  in  the  midst  of  which  he 
found  himself.  In  the  great  body  of  his  prophecy 
he  described  the  results  of  reprobation  in  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL         139 

devastation  of  the  people,  declaring  the  reason 
of  reprobation  to  be  the  sin  of  the  people, 
and  affirming  the  righteousness  of  reprobation. 
Looking  through  all  this  he  saw  restoration  pro- 
ceeding through  judgment,  until  there  broke 
upon  his  vision  the  glory  of  that  last  temple, 
which  has  never  yet  been  built ;  and  the  final 
word  of  his  prophecy  is  the  declaration  which 
sets  forth  the  ultimate  glory  thereof,  "  The  Lord 
is  there."  Throughout  the  whole  of  that 
prophetic  movement  the  facts  of  the  Divine 
nature  are  seen  as  he  describes  the  processes  of 
God.  The  supremacy  of  Jehovah  is  manifest 
whether  in  reprobation  or  in  restoration.  The 
service  of  Jehovah  is  the  one  story,  as  God  is 
described  as  dealing  with  His  people  in  order  to 
remake  them.  The  manifestation  of  Jehovah  is 
perpetually  revealed  as  to  His  purpose  in  the  al- 
most monotonous  repetition  of  the  refrain, 
"That  ye  may  know  Jehovah."  The  mystery  of 
God  is  the  supreme  truth.  Mark  the  fine 
reticence  of  the  first  vision.  There  is  no  descrip- 
tion of  essential  Deity.  When  we  have  gazed 
upon  the  living  creatures,  watched  the  whirling 
wheels,  been  conscious  of  the  all-pervasive  spirit, 
lifted  our  eyes  above  the  firmament  and  seen  the 


140         THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL 

Throne  and  on  the  Throne  a  Man,  we  are  made 
supremely  conscious  of  the  fact  that  the  ultimate 
truth  is  undiscovered,  and  the  essential  Being  is 
invisible.  Again,  when  we  come  to  the  last 
sentence  of  the  prophecy,  so  simple  that  any 
child  can  remember  it,  "  The  Lord  is  there," 
mark  the  reverent  reticence  of  it.  We  have 
looked  upon  the  temple.  We  have  been  con- 
scious of  things  missing  which  were  found  in  the 
temple  of  Solomon.  We  have  observed  the 
presence  of  things  not  found  in  that  temple.  We 
have  been  made  conscious  of  mystic  movement ; 
and  have  seen  the  glorious  outflowing  of  a 
gracious  river  which  brings  life  wherever  it 
comes,  but  we  have  never  seen  God.  The  only 
reference  he  makes  to  the  actual  presence  of 
God  in  the  temple  is  in  that  simple  word  already 
twice  quoted,  "  The  Lord  is  there." 

It  is  not  only  true  that  these  essential  facts  of 
the  nature  of  God  are  all  recognized  throughout 
the  processes  of  reprobation  and  restoration  ;  it  is 
also  true  that  there  is  a  progressive  revelation. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  prophecy  which  deals 
with  judgment,  the  overwhelming  sense  of  God 
is  that  of  His  supremacy.  In  the  movement  in 
which  the  false  shepherds  are  denounced,  and  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL         141 

true  shepherd  character  portrayed,  Jehovah  is 
revealed  as  Himself  the  Shepherd  of  His  peo- 
ple, Who  thus  fulfills  the  true  function  of  king- 
ship. 

Later  in  the  course  of  the  prophecy  we  have 
that  weird  and  amazing  spectacle  of  the  valley  of 
dry  bones.  We  hear  the  moving  of  the  wind 
over  the  bones,  and  then  watch  them  as  they 
come  together  and  are  clothed  with  sinew  and 
flesh  and  skin,  until  presently  they  stand  a  liv- 
ing army  ;  and  as  we  watch,  we  learn  how  God 
stoops,  King  though  He  be,  to  serve  in  order  to 
save.  Still  further,  in  the  new  order,  the  new 
law  of  life,  and  in  the  new  consciousness  of  God, 
we  see  the  full  manifestation  of  life  at  its  highest 
and  best,  not  in  an  individual  merely,  but  in  a 
remade  race,  gathered  around  the  central  fact  of 
worship.  Until  finally,  we  come  to  the  last 
word,  and  all  the  great  unveiling  enfolds  itself 
and  announces  that  which  cannot  finally  be 
known,  but  in  the  presence  of  which  the  exercise 
of  worship  is  the  only  fitting  activity  of  the  soul. 

In  the  light  of  this  vision,  sin  was  even  more 
sinful,  judgment  was  even  more  sure,  but  the 
victory  was  absolutely  certain.  So  that  in  the 
midst  of  a  handful  of  exiles,  stubborn  and  re- 


142         THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL 

bellious,  Ezekiel  saw  through  to  the  ultimate  be- 
cause he  knew  God,  not  only  as  to  the  principles 
of  His  government,  not  merely  as  to  the  activi- 
ties thereof,  but  as  to  Himself. 

If  these  be  the  permanent  values  of  the  book, 
its  living  message  may  be  briefly  stated. 

In  order  to  a  true  and  comprehensive  outlook 
we  need  to  pass  beyond  the  principles  of  the 
Divine  government,  beyond  the  practice  thereof, 
to  the  very  presence  of  God.  If  we  think  simply 
of  the  principles  we  shall  see  them  violated  on 
every  hand.  If  we  simply  contemplate  the  ac- 
tivities of  Jehovah,  though  we  worship  in  the 
presence  of  them,  admitting  the  righteousness  of 
His  judgments  on  sin,  being  overwhelmed  by 
the  fact  of  His  sorrow  on  account  of  sin,  believ- 
ing that  at  last  He  will  gain  the  victory ;  the 
postponement  of  that  victory  is  so  terrible  an  ex- 
perience as  to  be  almost  unbearable  ;  but  if  we 
can  be  brought  into  actual  consciousness  of  His 
nature  we  shall  sing  on  the  darkest  day,  because 
over  all  the  gloom  of  the  present  we  shall  detect 
the  glory  of  the  coming  victory.  In  order  to 
abiding  hope  and  abounding  joy,  we  must  pass 
beyond  the  principles  and  the  practice,  to  the 
Person. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  EZEKIEL         143 

In  order  that  we  may  do  so,  God  is  manifest 
in  flesh.  This  is  life  eternal  that  we  may  know 
Him,  and  Jesus  Christ  Whom  He  has  sent. 
Eliphaz  said  to  Job,  "  Acquaint  now  thyself  with 
Him,  and  be  at  peace."  Paul  expressed  the 
deepest  desire  of  his  heart  in  the  words,  "  That 
I  may  know  Him,  and  the  power  of  His  resur- 
rection, and  the  fellowship  of  His  sufferings."  It 
is  a  great  thing  to  watch  the  goings  of  God  in 
the  world ;  it  is  a  beneficent  thing  to  know  the 
principles  of  His  government;  but  if  the  heart 
would  find  refuge  and  perpetual  song,  it  must 
become  familiar  with  God  Himself. 

Finally,  then,  the  book  declares  that  the  knowl- 
edge of  God  is  the  perennial  well-spring  of  joy 
and  the  inspiration  of  hope.  To  know  Him  is 
to  see  sin  and  hate  it,  to  proclaim  judgment 
fearlessly ;  but  it  is  also  to  "  rejoice  in  the  hope 
of  the  glory  of  God." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUE 


B 

THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  The  Government  of  the  Lord  God  in  the  Imme- 
diate.    (The  Historic  Night)  Dan.  ii.  20-22. 
L  The  Fact  of  the  Government. 

a.  Nebuchadnezzar. 

I.  "  The  Lord  gave  Jehoiakim  into  his  hand." 
a.  The  Dream. 
3.  The  Image. 

b.  Belshaizar.     The  Writing  on  the  Wall. 

c.  Darius.  The  Decree  and  the  Lions, 
ii.  The  Instrument  of  Revelation. 

a.  Separation.      The  King's  Meat 

b.  Inspiration.     Understanding  of  the  Mind  of 

God. 

e.   Adoration.       The  Worship  of  God, 
ii.  The  revealing  Facts. 

a.  God's  Wisdom  revealed  through  His  Own. 

b.  God's  Might  manifest   in  His  Care  of  His 

Own. 

IL  The  Government  of  the  Lord  God  in  Its  Processes 

to  the  End.     (The  Prophetic  Light.) 
L  The  Colossus. 

a.  The  Head  of  Gold.       Babylon. 

b.  The  Bust  of  Silver.       Medo-Persia. 

c.  The  Belly  of  Brass.      Greece. 

d.  The  Legs  of  Iron.         Rome. 

Division.     Deterioration. 
The  Stone.     Destruction. 
ii.  The  Visions.     History  unveiling  Character. 
Beasts. 

a.  The  Wisdom  of  God.     Knowing. 

b.  The  Might  of  God.         Overruling. 


I.  The  Revealed  Principles 

i.  The  Wisdom  and  Might 

of  God. 

ii.  His  actual  Government. 
Setting  up  and  Casting 

down. 

Guiding    Evil    to    De- 
velopment   and     De- 
struction. 
Preserving  Good, 


II.  The  Hidden  Things 

Dan.  xii.  9,  10. 
Acts  i.  7. 


III.  The  Perpetual  Responsi- 
bility of  His  Own 
i.  Separation, 
ii.  Inspiration, 
iii.  Adoration. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL 

THE  book  of  Daniel  falls  into  two  parts. 
The  first  six  chapters  are  historic,  and 
the  last  six  are  prophetic.  By  that  I  do 
not  intend  to  suggest  that  there  is  nothing  of 
prophecy  in  the  first  six  chapters,  nor  that  there 
is  no  recognition  of  history  in  the  last  six ;  but 
that  the  main  note  of  the  content  of  the  first  six 
is  historic,  and  the  principal  value  of  the  content 
of  the  last  six  is  prophetic.  These  two  parts  are 
intimately  related  to  each  other,  and  in  our  study 
of  the  content  of  this  book  we  have  attempted  to 
suggest  the  relation  by  the  titles  of  the  two 
divisions.  In  the  first  we  have  the  historic 
night,  and  in  the  second  the  prophetic  light. 
This  distinction  needs  to  be  maintained  when 
we  turn  to  the  consideration  of  the  message  of 
the  book. 

If  of  any  book  among  these  prophetic  writings 
the  description  of  Peter,  "  a  lamp  shining  in  a 
dark  place,"  is  peculiarly  true,  it  is  so  of  this  one. 

The  historic  section  of  the  book  gives  a 
MS 


146          THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL 

picture  of  the  world  when  the  national  testi- 
mony of  the  Hebrew  people  was  lost  even  more 
completely  than  in  the  time  of  Ezekiel.  During 
many  of  the  years  Ezekiel  was  in  captivity,  Jere- 
miah was  exercising  his  ministry  in  Jerusalem, 
and  it  is  evident  that  his  ministry  influenced  that 
of  Ezekiel. 

When  we  come  to  the  book  of  Daniel  we  can 
discover  no  such  general  influence.  The  kings 
of  the  chosen  people  are  only  referred  to  in  pass- 
ing. The  testimony  of  the  people  as  a  nation 
was  wholly  at  an  end.  We  see  the  great  world 
powers  of  the  time  in  the  light  shed  on  them  by 
the  ministry  of  Daniel,  a  most  remarkable  man 
in  every  way,  a  man  who,  loyal  to  the  God  of 
his  fathers,  nevertheless  rose  to  positions  of 
prominence  in  three  empires ;  and  who  in  the 
midst  of  circumstances,  difficult  and  dangerous  as 
were  those  of  a  Gentile  court  at  that  time,  re- 
mained loyal  to  Jehovah.  The  prophetic  section 
of  the  book  gives  us  a  picture  of  the  working 
out  of  the  Divine  purpose  through  all  human 
history. 

In  attempting  to  discover  the  permanent  value 
and  the  living  message  of  this  book,  we  are  aided 
by  the  fact  that  such  value  lies  deeper  than  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL          147 

immediate  application  of  any  one  of  its  parts, 
and  its  living  message  is  independent  of  any  par- 
ticular method  of  interpretation. 

I  desire  first  of  all  to  set  this  book  in  relation  to 
those  which  have  preceded  it.  We  have  con- 
sidered the  message  of  Isaiah,  the  message  of 
Jeremiah,  and  that  of  Ezekiel,  and  we  shall  now 
find  that  there  is  intimate  relationship  between 
these  three  and  the  message  of  Daniel. 

There  is  an  old  division  of  these  prophetic 
books  into  major  and  minor  with  which  we  are 
all  familiar.  We  speak  of  Isaiah,  Jeremiah  and 
Ezekiel  as  the  major  prophets,  and  of  the  twelve, 
beginning  with  Hosea  and  ending  with  Malachi, 
as  the  minor  prophets.  There  has  been  doubt  in 
the  minds  of  some  as  to  whether  Daniel  should 
be  reckoned  among  the  major  or  the  minor. 
There  is  a  sense  in  which  that  division  is  in  itself 
false  and  misleading.  I  refer  especially  to  the 
designation  of  the  twelve  as  the  minor  prophets. 
They  are  minor  in  no  sense  save  that  of  bulk ; 
indeed,  that  was  the  meaning  of  the  word  in  its 
first  application  to  them.  For  many  reasons  it 
would  be  an  excellent  thing  if  we  could  abandon 
the  use  of  the  words. 

Nevertheless,  there  is  an  element  of  value  in 


148          THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL 

the  division  between  the  four  and  the  twelve. 
They  constitute  two  sections.  The  principle  of 
the  division  is  not  chronological.  I  presume  we 
are  all  agreed  now  that  Hosea's  prophecy  was 
earlier  than  that  of  any  of  the  four  to  which  I 
have  already  made  reference.  There  is  a  divi- 
sion, and  I  believe  it  is  a  spiritual  one.  When 
we  seek  for  the  permanent  values  and  the  living 
messages,  we  find  in  these  first  four  a  unifying 
revelation.  Speaking  broadly,  I  should  be  in- 
clined to  say  that  the  permanent  value  of  the  four 
is  that  of  the  unveiling  of  the  King,  while  the 
permanent  value  of  the  twelve  is  that  of  the  un- 
veiling of  the  Kingdom.  I  recognize  that  to 
make  a  division  like  that,  and  leave  it  as  though 
it  were  final,  would  be  most  unsatisfactory.  Both 
the  Kingdom  and  the  King  are  seen  in  the  four ; 
both  the  King  and  the  Kingdom  are  discovered 
in  the  twelve ;  and  yet  undoubtedly  there  is  this 
distinction,  that  the  supreme  and  overwhelming 
revelation  of  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel  and  Daniel 
is  that  of  the  King  Himself,  while  the  particular 
and  special  revelation  of  the  twelve  is  that  of  the 
conditions  within  the  Kingdom  which  occupied 
the  attention  of  the  prophetic  voices  as  they  de- 
clared the  word  of  the  King.  Therefore,  for  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL          149 

purpose  of  a  general  examination,  I  should  always 
speak  of  the  major  prophets  as  revealing  the 
King,  and  of  the  minor  prophets  as  revealing  the 
Kingdom.  I  have  no  difficulty,  therefore,  with 
Daniel,  but  deliberately  place  him  with  the  first 
three.  To  use  the  word  already  referred  to,  I 
number  him  with  the  major  prophets. 

Let  us  go  back,  then,  in  order  that  we  may 
place  Daniel  in  relation  to  the  messages  already 
considered,  for  in  his  prophecy  we  have  the  com- 
pletion of  the  revelation. 

Isaiah  began  his  ministry  in  the  reign  of  Uzziah, 
one  of  the  most  prosperous  as  to  material  things 
in  the  whole  history  of  Judah.  It  was  in  the 
year  of  his  death  that  the  prophet  saw  that  new 
vision  which  lifted  the  whole  of  his  subsequent 
ministry  on  to  a  higher  plane.  Jeremiah  was  the 
prophet  of  failure,  exercising  his  ministry  during 
the  reign  of  the  last  of  the  kings  of  Judah. 
Ezekiel  delivered  his  messages  not  to  the  people 
as  a  nation,  but  to  a  handful  of  exiles  in  captivity. 
Daniel  personally  delivered  no  messages  to  the 
chosen  people  themselves,  but  he  exercised  a 
ministry  of  remarkable  force  in  the  midst  of  the 
great  world  powers. 

In  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  we  saw  the  Throne 


ISO          THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL 

His  supreme  revelation  is  that  of  the  uplifted, 
established  Throne  of  Jehovah.  He  declares  two 
facts  concerning  it,  the  fact  of  its  exercise  of 
government,  and  the  fact  of  its  method  of  grace. 
These  constitute  the  permanent  value  and  living 
message  of  Isaiah.  As  we  said  in  our  considera- 
tion of  the  content  of  the  book,  the  two  great 
passages  in  which  this  continuous  purpose  finds 
clearest  expression  are  the  sixth  chapter,  which 
gives  an  account  of  his  vision,  and  the  fifty-third, 
which  thrills  with  the  message  of  the  grace  of 
God. 

In  the  prophecy  of  Jeremiah  we  have  a  vision 
of  the  activity  of  Jehovah.  That  activity  is  three- 
fold :  that  of  judgment  of  sin,  suffering  for  sin, 
and  victory  over  sin. 

Ezekiel  strikes  a  deeper  note  as  he  presents 
the  Person  of  Jehovah,  and  unveils  four  facts  con- 
cerning that  Person,  those,  namely,  of  supremacy 
and  service,  of  manifestation  and  mystery. 

Turning  to  the  book  of  Daniel,  we  find  none  of 
these  things  dealt  with,  though  all  are  recog- 
nized. The  supreme  revelation  of  the  book  is 
that  of  the  persistent  government  of  God  Al- 
mighty over  the  whole  earth  towards  the  fulfill- 
ment of  the  purpose  of  His  grace.  In  that 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL          151 

sentence  I  express  what  I  hold  to  be  the  perma- 
nent value  of  this  book.  Let  me  state  it  more 
carefully  and  in  slightly  altered  phrasing.  In 
Daniel  we  have  the  revelation  of  the  power  and 
wisdom  of  the  Lord  God  in  the  government  of 
the  world  to  the  end  of  the  days. 

Throughout  the  whole  of  this  book,  with  one 
notable  exception,  God  is  described  as  Adonahy 
Elohim :  Adonahy,  supreme  or  sovereign  Lord ; 
Elohim,  Mighty  God.  The  name  of  Jehovah  is 
only  to  be  found  in  one  chapter — the  ninth. 
Therein  we  have  Daniel  presented  to  us  bur- 
dened with  the  failure  of  his  people,  and  crying 
out  in  intercession  for  them.  In  that  great  in- 
tercessory prayer  the  name  Jehovah  occurs  seven 
times.  The  nation  to  which  God  revealed  Him- 
self as  the  Becoming  One  was  scattered  and 
peeled,  its  testimony  broken,  its  influence  de- 
parted. One  man  in  whom  all  the  principles  of 
God's  intention  for  the  nation  were  preserved, 
and  who  was  mastered  by  those  principles,  spoke 
for  God,  lived  for  God,  and  worked  for  God  in 
three  empires,  but  never  spoke  of  God  to  those 
Gentile  kings  by  the  great  name  Jehovah.  He 
always  referred  to  Him  by  the  titles  Adonahy 
Elohim. 


i$2          THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL 

When,  as  a  result  of  his  study  of  the  writings 
of  Jeremiah,  and  his  consciousness  of  the  passing 
of  time,  Daniel  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
seventy  years  were  running  out,  his  heart  be- 
came burdened  for  his  own  people,  and  as  he  in- 
terceded for  them,  the  old  gracious  name  was 
used,  Jehovah  my  God,  Jehovah  our  God. 

That  in  itself  is  an  interesting  fact  in  the  study 
of  this  book.  Its  main  value,  however,  is  that  it 
affords  a  revelation  of  the  power  and  wisdom  of 
the  Lord  God  in  the  government  of  the  world 
unto  the  end  of  the  days.  These  words,  "  the 
end  of  the  days,"  are  the  last  made  use  of  in  the 
book,  Daniel  being  told  to  wait,  and  being  prom- 
ised that  he  should  stand  in  his  lot  at  the  end 
of  the  days. 

Thus  we  discover  the  unifying  principle  of  the 
major  prophets.  In  the  first  of  them  we  find  the 
principles  of  government ;  in  the  second,  the 
practice  of  government ;  in  the  third,  the  Person 
of  the  Governor ;  and  in  the  last,  the  persistence 
of  His  government. 

In  the  light  of  this  unity  of  the  four,  the  per- 
manent values  of  Daniel  are  the  more  clearly  ap- 
prehended. In  the  first  part  of  the  book  we  see 
the  government  of  the  Lord  God  in  the  immedi- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL          153 

ate  circumstances  in  the  midst  of  which  Daniel 
lived.  In  the  second  we  see  the  government  of 
the  Lord  God  in  its  processes  to  the  end.  In  the 
second  chapter,  verses  twenty  to  twenty-two, 
this  declaration  is  found :  "  Blessed  be  the  name 
of  God  forever  and  ever:  for  wisdom  and 
might  are  His :  and  He  changeth  the  times  and 
the  seasons :  He  removeth  kings,  and  setteth  up 
kings:  He  giveth  wisdom  unto  the  wise,  and 
knowledge  to  them  that  know  understanding: 
He  revealeth  the  deep  and  secret  things :  He 
knoweth  what  is  in  darkness,  and  the  light 
dwelleth  with  Him."  That  passage  affords  the 
key  to  the  revelation  of  the  book.  Indeed,  its  per- 
manent value  is  contained  therein.  Take  the  first 
of  these  divisions,  the  government  of  the  Lord 
God  in  the  immediate.  It  gives  the  account  of 
the  victory  of  Nebuchadnezzar  over  Jehoiakim 
in  these  words :  "  The  Lord  gave  Jehoiakim 
into  his  hand."  It  is  not  only  recognition,  but 
definite  declaration  of  the  fact  that  Jehoiakim 
passed  into  captivity  by  the  act  of  God.  If  this 
were  human  history,  rather  than  inspired  story, 
we  should  read  that  Nebuchadnezzar  defeated 
Jehoiakim,  and  took  him  prisoner.  That  would 
be  perfectly  true,  but  it  would  not  be  the  pro- 


154          THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL 

foundest  truth,  nor  the  truth  that  this  book  was 
written  to  reveal.  The  writer  was  looking  be- 
yond secondary  matters  to  primary  ones,  and  he 
therefore  declared,  "The  Lord  gave  Jehoiakim 
into  his  hand." 

The  next  story  is  that  of  the  strange,  weird 
vision  of  the  colossus  with  its  head  of  gold,  its 
breasts  of  silver,  its  belly  and  sides  of  brass,  its 
legs  of  iron,  and  its  feet  a  mixture  of  iron  and 
brittle  clay.  The  interpretation  of  the  vision 
could  not  be  discovered  by  the  magicians,  and 
Daniel  was  enabled  both  to  recall  the  dream  and 
give  its  interpretation.  However  we  may  inter- 
pret the  vision  as  to  detail,  however  far  we  may 
wander  from  the  simple  interpretation  of  Daniel 
himself,  or  however  closely  we  may  adhere 
thereto,  the  master  thought  of  it  is  that  of  God 
reigning  over  the  affairs  of  men ;  and  through  all 
the  processes  of  deterioration  or  destruction, 
moving  towards  the  final  victory  of  the  establish- 
ment of  the  true  order  amongst  men.  It  is  su- 
premely a  vision  of  the  reigning,  governing 
God. 

When  Daniel  interpreted  the  vision  of  the  co- 
lossus, he  said  to  Nebuchadnezzar,  "  Thou  art 
the  head  of  gold,"  and  indicated  the  fact  that 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL          155 

his  appointment  was  made  by  the  God  of 
heaven. 

When  the  effect  of  the  vision  had  passed 
away,  and  the  king  made  an  image  of  gold,  and 
commanded  that  men  should  worship  it,  a  hand- 
ful of  men  refused  to  bend  the  knee,  and  conse- 
quently were  cast  into  the  fiery  furnace,  but 
passed  through  it  unscathed  and  unharmed. 
The  words  of  Nebuchadnezzar  following  this  de- 
liverance prove  that  by  its  means  he  had  discov- 
ered the  fact  of  the  government  of  God. 

We  pass  from  the  reign  of  Nebuchadnezzar  to 
that  of  Belshazzar ;  and  imagination  can  fill  in 
thfc  details  of  his  court — its  luxury,  its  licentious- 
ness, its  lust.  In  the  midst  of  a  drunken  carousal 
the  mystic  handwriting  was  seen  upon  the  wall : 
"  Mene,  Mene,  Tekel,  Upharsin."  This  was  the 
handwriting  of  God,  and  revealed  most  clearly 
the  great  truth  for  which  this  book  stands,  that 
God  weighs  kingdoms  in  balances,  rejects  kings 
from  kingship  by  His  own  will,  and  sets  up  or 
flings  down  according  to  the  purpose  of  His 
own  government. 

The  last  of  the  series  of  stories  is  that  of  how 
Darius  flung  Daniel  into  the  den  of  lions  at  the 
bidding  of  his  courtiers,  and  then  in  the  early 


156          THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL 

morning  enquired :  "  O  Daniel,  servant  of  the 
living  God,  is  thy  God,  Whom  thou  servest  con- 
tinually, able  to  deliver  thee  ?  "  Daniel  answered 
the  enquiry  in  a  word  which  affirms  both  the 
power  and  activity  of  God :  "  O  king,  live  for- 
ever. My  God  hath  sent  His  angel,  and  hath 
shut  the  lions'  mouths." 

These  stories  reveal  the  instruments  through 
whom  God  made  the  fact  of  His  government 
known,  to  Nebuchadnezzar,  Belshazzar,  and 
Darius,  and  through  them  to  others.  As  we  turn 
to  look  at  these  instruments  we  discover  three 
things  concerning  them.  First  of  all,  their 
separation  from  all  the  things  in  the  midst  of 
which  they  lived  which  were  contrary  to  the  will 
of  God.  Secondly,  their  inspiration ;  they  lived 
in  fellowship  with  God,  and  thus  came  to  an  un- 
derstanding of  the  mind  of  God,  and  were 
enabled  to  interpret  it  to  kings  without  fear  or 
faltering.  Thirdly,  their  personal  adoration  of 
God  as  they  worshipped  Him,  and  Him  alone, 
and  that  persistently.  The  interest  centres  in 
Daniel,  who  lived  in  the  midst  of  things  contrary 
to  the  will  of  God,  but  in  separation  from  them  ; 
and  in  such  close  fellowship  with  God  that  it  was 
possible  for  him  to  receive  the  interpretation  of 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL          157 

visions,  and  in  such  reverent  and  adoring  wor- 
ship as  refused  to  be  hindered  by  any  form  of 
opposition.  That  man  became  the  instrument 
in  the  darkness  through  whom  God  was  able  to 
flash  His  light  upon  kings,  and  make  courts  feel 
the  spell  of  His  power. 

Through  Daniel  and  those  associated  with 
him,  certain  facts  of  the  Divine  government 
were  forced  upon  the  recognition  of  these  kings. 
They  saw  His  wisdom  revealed  through  His 
own,  in  their  ability  to  interpret.  They  saw  His 
might  manifest  in  His  care  of  His  own.  Thus, 
standing  back  from  this  great  book  in  order  to 
observe  it  in  general  outline,  while  leaving  the 
details,  interesting  and  valuable  as  they  are,  we 
see  God  enthroned  high  above  the  thrones  of 
men,  governing  in  infinite  wisdom  and  irresist- 
ible might 

Halting  for  one  brief  glance  at  the  second 
part  of  the  book,  we  see  the  government  of  the 
Lord  God  in  its  processes  to  the  end.  It  is  at 
this  point  that  we  find  ourselves  in  the  midst  of 
widely  differing  interpretations.  Notwithstand- 
ing these,  there  are  broad  truths,  suggested  by 
the  vision  of  the  image,  upon  which  we  are  all 
agreed.  The  words  of  the  prophecy  itself  declare 


158          THE  MESSAGE  OE  DANIEL 

that  the  head  of  gold  referred  to  Babylon,  that 
the  bust  of  silver  referred  to  the  Medo-Persian 
empire  which  followed  Babylon,  and  interpreting 
the  symbolism  of  the  vision  by  the  facts  of 
history,  the  belly  of  brass  must  have  referred  to 
the  Grecian  power  which  succeeded  the  Medo- 
Persian,  and  the  legs  of  iron  to  the  Roman 
Empire.  Beyond  that  we  see  division  and 
deterioration,  until  a  new  movement  from  with- 
out changes  the  whole  course  of  history  ;  a  stone 
cut  from  the  mountain  smites  the  deteriorated 
feet  of  the  image,  and  the  whole  falls  to  the 
ground.  It  is  evident  that  much  of  this  vision 
was  prophetic.  Daniel  lived  in  the  midst  of 
some  of  the  circumstances  referred  to.  The 
image  itself  was  a  revelation  of  God's  knowledge 
of  the  processes  of  the  world  powers,  and  pre- 
eminently a  revelation  of  the  fact  that  He 
remains  enthroned  above  every  empire  as  it 
comes  and  goes  ;  and,  moreover,  that  its  rise  and 
fall  is  under  His  government.  Beyond  the  vision 
of  the  image  we  have  those  of  the  beasts,  the 
difference  between  them  being  that  whereas  in 
the  colossus  we  have  the  symbolism  of  external 
manifestation,  in  the  beasts  we  have  that  of 
inward  character.  Dr.  Scofield  draws  attention 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL          159 

to  the  significance  of  the  fact  that  the  national 
symbols  of  the  world  powers  to-day  are  all  birds 
or  beasts  of  prey. 

I  take  this  book,  then,  with  its  mystic  passages 
and  its  strange  figures  ;  with  its  days,  and  dates, 
and  dating,  its  times,  half  times,  times  missing, 
and  times  found ;  caring  very  little  about  these 
things  for  the  moment,  I  see  that  its  living  mes- 
sage to  this  age  is  that  of  the  wisdom  and  might 
of  God  ;  of  the  fact  of  His  actual  government, 
setting  up  and  casting  down,  guiding  evil  on  the 
one  side  to  its  full  development  and  its  ultimate 
destruction  and  on  the  other,  preserving  good  to 
its  full  development  and  final  victory.  The 
vision  is  that  of  the  overruling  God,  in  wisdom 
knowing,  and  in  might  working  ;  of  kings  reign- 
ing and  passing,  of  dynasties  and  empires  rising 
and  falling,  while  God,  enthroned  above  them, 
overrules  their  movements. 

Looking  through  the  visions  of  this  book  at 
the  government  of  God,  there  are  two  things  im- 
pressed upon  the  mind.  The  first  is  that  God  is 
guiding  evil  to  full  development,  in  order  to  final 
destruction.  The  second  is  that  He  is  overrul- 
ing" good  to  full  development  in  order  to  ultimate 
victory.  There  is  untold  value  in  the  fact  that 


i6o          THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL 

both  these  movements  are  revealed.  Sometimes 
we  are  told  that  the  days  in  which  we  live  are 
the  most  wonderful  that  the  world  has  ever  seen, 
that  the  world  is  getting  better  every  day  ;  on  the 
other  hand,  there  are  those  who  affirm  that  we 
are  in  the  midst  of  dreadful  days,  that  the  world 
is  getting  worse  every  day. 

What  shall  we  do  with  these  opposing  views  ? 
The  message  of  this  book  is  that  we  shall  only 
discover  the  truth  as  we  believe  both  of  them. 
Evil  is  to-day  worse  than  it  ever  was — more 
subtle,  more  devilish,  and  more  refined,  and 
therefore  more  dangerous  and  more  damnable. 
On  the  other  hand,  good  is  more  abounding 
than  ever  before.  Men  to-day  have  fuller  revela- 
tion than  they  had,  and  are  growing  towards 
fuller  realization. 

If  these  two  things  be  true,  it  follows  that 
jooner  or  later  there  must  be  a  crisis,  a  final  con- 
flict between  the  two  forces.  That  is  exactly 
what  this  book  and  the  whole  Bible  teach.  The 
Scriptures  never  suggest  that  these  two  processes 
will  end  by  the  reconciliation  of  good  and  evil, 
or  by  the  weakening  of  good  until  there  is  noth- 
ing but  evil,  or  the  weakening  of  evil  until  there 
is  nothing  but  good.  The  crisis  will  come  when 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL          161 

the  stone  cut  without  hands  smites  the  image, 
and  it  breaks  and  crumbles,  and  the  new  king- 
dom of  goodness  fills  the  world. 

If  that  be  the  main  part  of  the  living  message 
of  the  book,  there  is  another  which  must  not  be 
neglected.  Daniel  said,  "  I  heard,  but  I  under- 
stood not :  then  said  I,  O  my  lord,  what  shall  be 
the  issue  of  these  things  ?  And  he  said,  Go  thy 
way,  Daniel :  for  the  words  are  shut  up  and 
sealed  till  the  time  of  the  end.  Many  shall 
purify  themselves,  and  make  themselves  white, 
and  be  refined ;  but  the  wicked  shall  do  wickedly  ; 
and  none  of  the  wicked  shall  understand  :  but 
they  that  be  wise  shall  understand." 

It  would  be  a  great  blessing  if  all  students  of  the 
book  would  be  as  honest  as  the  author  :  "  I  heard, 
but  I  understood  not"  Two  things  are  certain 
as  to  the  process.  First,  "  Many  shall  purify  them- 
selves, and  make  themselves  white,  and  be  re- 
fined" ;  secondly,  "  the  wicked  shall  do  wickedly." 

It  is  impossible  to  construct  an  almanac  on  the 
basis  of  that  revelation.  If  we  would  have  the 
New  Testament  message  which  exactly  coincides 
with  this,  we  turn  to  the  last  words  of  our  Lord. 
The  disciples  had  asked  Him :  "  Lord,  dost 
Thou  at  this  time  restore  the  kingdom  to 


162          THE  MESSAGE  OF  DANIEL 

Israel  ?  "  And  He  replied  :  "  It  is  not  for  you  to 
know  times  and  seasons,  which  the  Father  hath 
set  within  His  own  authority.  But  ye  shall  re- 
ceive power." 

It  is  not  our  business  to  make  a  calendar.  If 
we  attempt  to  set  these  things  in  chronological 
order,  we  shall  find  a  great  gap,  a  space  for 
which  we  cannot  account,  an  unmeasured  period. 
This  at  least  is  evident  that  we  are  living  to- 
day in  that  unmeasured  period. 

What,  then,  is  the  last  word  of  this  message  ? 
If  we  believe  that  God  still  reigns  and  rules  in 
might  and  wisdom,  if  we  believe  that  we  cannot 
fix  the  date  for  the  realization  of  His  purpose  by 
human  calendars,  wherein  lies  our  responsibility  ? 

It  is  that  of  this  handful  of  exiles  of  long  ago. 
Separation  from  all  the  things  that  are  unlike 
God  in  the  world  in  the  midst  of  which  we  live  ; 
fellowship  with  God,  which  will  enable  us  to  de- 
clare Him  to  the  age  in  which  we  live,  so  that  it 
shall  be  compelled  to  recognition  of  Him  ;  and 
finally,  such  adoration  of  Him  as  must  express 
itself  in  worship  always,  in  spite  of  all  diffi- 
culties ;  such  worship  as  refuses  to  bow  the  knee 
to  any  god  save  our  one  Lord  God  Almighty,  as 
He  has  been  revealed  to  us  in  Jesus  Christ 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  A  Revelation  of  the  deepest  Nature  of  Sin 

i.  Infidelity  to  Love. 

God  revealed  as  Love  by  His  Actions. 
God  acting  in  Love  towards  His  People. 
They  receiving  the  Gifts  of  Love. 
They  playing  Traitor  to  the  Giver. 
This  Sin  against  clearest  Light. 

II.  A  Revelation  of  the  Inevitable  Activity  of  Judg- 
ment 


Necessary  result  of  Sin. 
Man  has  no  right  to  expect  Escape. 
God   has   no   Alternative   when   Sin 
sistent. 


is  per- 


il. 


A    Revelation  of    the   unconquerable    Force  of 
Love 

Love's  Triumph  lies  through  Suffering. 
Love  is  unconquerable. 
Love  suffers  when  sinned  against. 
Love  gathers  the  Result  of  Sin  and  bears  it. 
Love  expiates  Sin  by  Suffering. 
Love  pardons  when  it  is  submitted  to. 


I.  Sin 

The  Notes  of  the  Church's 
Failure    those    of    the 
Failure  of  Israel, 
i.  Spiritual  Adultery. 
ii.  The  Harlotry  of  World- 
liness. 

iii.  The  Result. 

Testimony  silenced. 
Name    of    God    pro- 
faned. 

II.  Judgment 

i.  Of  Moth  and  Rust. 

The  Church  speaks  no 
authoritative  Word, 
ii.  Of  the  young  Lion. 

III.  Love 

i.  Jehovah's  constant  Love, 
ii.  The  Certainty  of  Christ's 


second     Advent 
final  Victory. 


and 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA 

THE  book  of  Hosea  pulsates  with  power. 
The    ministry    of  this   man   combined 
intellectual  and  emotional  forces  in  a  re- 
markable way.      These  forces  are  discoverable 
acting  in   partnership,  in   all  the  messages  he 
delivered.     From  the  first  chapter  to  the  last  we 
are  conscious  of  them.      The  book  thrills  with 
emotion,  and  flames  with  light,  from  beginning 
to  end. 

Hosea  came  to  clear  vision  through  deep 
feeling.  He  passed  to  yet  deeper  feeling  by 
reason  of  the  clarity  of  his  vision.  He  saw  to 
the  heart  of  the  great  subjects  of  which  he  treated, 
and  he  did  so  because  in  his  training  for  the 
prophetic  ministry  his  own  heart  was  wrung 
with  anguish.  He  who  has  much  to  teach  must 
suffer  much  ;  and  he  alone  can  speak  of  the 
deepest  things  in  the  economy  of  God  who  hag 
sooner  or  later  entered  into  fellowship  with  the 
suffering  of  God.  Hosea  passed  into  fellowship 
with  that  suffering  through  his  own  suffering| 

165 


i66  THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA 

and  out  of  that  fellowship  in  suffering  spoke  to  his 
age.  That,  I  think,  is  the  key  to  all  that  is  so  ap- 
pealing and  powerful  in  this  wonderful  prophecy. 

The  book  has  three  permanent  values.  They 
are  its  unveilings  of  sin,  of  judgment,  and  of 
love.  In  these  pages  we  have  first  a  revelation 
of  what  sin  is  at  its  deepest  and  its  worst ;  sec- 
ondly, we  have  a  revelation  of  the  nature  of 
judgment,  and  of  its  inevitable  activity  as  the 
result  of  sin  ;  and  finally,  we  have  a  revelation  of 
the  unconquerable  force  of  love. 

Hosea,  while  dealing  incidentally  and  quite 
definitely  with  certain  forms  of  sin,  was  yet  more 
concerned  with  its  deeper  notes.  He  saw  to  the 
very  heart  of  it,  saw  it  at  its  worst,  and  under- 
stood the  awful  fact  about  it  which  makes  it  so 
appalling. 

In  order  that  we  may  understand  this,  we  must 
remember  that  he  was  speaking  to  the  chosen 
people  of  God.  It  is  often  debated  whether  there 
are  degrees  of  sin.  In  some  senses,  No.  In 
other  senses,  Yes.  When  a  man  chooses  in  his 
own  life  as  between  the  little  and  the  great  in  the 
matter  of  sin,  he  is  doing  that  for  which  he  has 
no  warrant  in  the  Scriptures  of  Truth.  On  the 
other  hand,  when  we  compare  as  between  the  sin 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA  107 

of  one  man,  and  the  sin  of  another,  the  sin  of  the 
one  may  be  less  than  that  of  the  other.  The 
difference  is  caused  by  light.  The  measure  of 
light  creates  the  degree  of  sin.  In  proportion  as 
men  have  light  their  sin  becomes  the  more  sinful. 
That  is  the  perpetual  principle  revealed  through 
all  the  Scriptures.  We  refer  to  it  when  deal- 
ing with  some  of  the  great  problems  of  the 
peoples  of  the  world,  we  declare  that  men  will  be 
judged  according  to  the  light  they  have  had. 
That  principle  lies  at  the  foundation  of  the  proph- 
esying of  Hosea.  His  messages  teach  us  that 
sin  reaches  its  deepest  and  most  awful  activity 
and  manifestation  when  it  is  sin  against  light, 
and  when  it  is  sin  against  such  light  as  reveals 
the  fact  of  love.  Sin  against  love  is  the  most 
heinous  sin  of  all.  The  people  chosen  of  God  to 
be  His  own  people,  upon  whom  He  had  lavished 
His  love,  had  turned  their  backs  upon  Him,  and 
were  spending  the  very  gifts  of  love  in  lewdness ; 
and  the  prophet  adopted  the  most  tragic  and 
awful  illustration,  as  he  declared  that  the  sin  of 
Israel  in  her  infidelity  to  love  was  that  of  spirit- 
ual adultery  ;  and  that  yet  more  heinous  sin,  more 
terrible  even  than  spiritual  adultery,  the  sin  of 
prostitution  for  hire. 


168  THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA 

I  can  quite  believe  that  in  this  age  when  we 
are  afraid  to  handle  things  as  they  ought  to  be 
handled,  there  are  those  who  dislike  the  prophecy 
of  Hosea.  Nevertheless  its  message  is  a  living 
one,  and  needs  emphatic  statement.  He  declared 
to  the  people  of  God  that  the  relation  existing 
between  them  and  God  was  most  perfectly 
symbolized  in  the  sacred  relationship  of  marriage ; 
and  therefore  that  their  sin  against  God  was  that 
of  infidelity,  unfaithfulness  to  love.  The  prophet 
learned  the  truth  through  the  tragic  and  awful  ex- 
perience of  his  own  domestic  life.  He  entered 
into  fellowship  with  God  when  his  own  heart  was 
broken,  when  there  came  to  him  the  unutterable 
and  most  appalling  sorrow  that  can  befall  the 
spirit  of  man.  What  the  sin  of  Israel  meant  to 
God,  Hosea  learned  by  the  tragedy  in  his  own 
home  and  in  his  own  heart ;  and  with  fierce,  hot 
anger  he  denounced  kings,  priests,  and  people 
alike.  Thus  while  he  dealt  with  the  incidental 
manifestations  of  sin,  the  real  message  of  the 
prophet  had  to  do  with  the  central  sin  of  infidel- 
ity to  the  covenant  based  upon  love.  This  book, 
therefore,  brings  us  to  the  consciousness  that  the 
deepest  and  most  awful  thing  in  the  realm  of  sin 
is  that  of  doing  despite  to  love. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA  169 

Then  as  to  judgment.  The  prophet  with  de- 
termined insistence  emphasized  the  fact  that 
judgment  is  the  necessary  result  of  sin.  He  de- 
clared that  judgment  must  fall  upon  the  sinning 
people  in  awful  force  and  completeness,  and 
positively  affirmed  that  they  had  no  right  to  ex- 
pect pardon.  In  the  last  section  of  the  prophecy, 
dealing  with  the  love  of  Jehovah,  the  movement 
declaring  that  love  falls  into  three  parts ;  the  love 
of  Jehovah  in  the  light  of  past  love ;  the  love  of 
Jehovah  in  the  light  of  present  and  continued 
love ;  and  the  love  of  Jehovah  in  the  light  of 
future  love.  In  our  analysis  we  show  how  that 
great  love-song  of  Jehovah  is  interrupted  by  the 
prophet's  interpolations.  We  speak  of  them  as 
constituting  a  minor  obligato  accompaniment.  In 
those  interpolations  the  prophet  traced  the  his- 
tory of  the  people  downward,  and  the  last  word 
of  them  was  one  in  which  he  declared  there  was 
no  hope.  That  is  to  say,  the  prophet  looked  on 
the  sin,  and  saw  it  inevitably  working  out  to 
judgment ;  and  he  wrote  his  message  in  letters 
of  fire,  as  undoubtedly  he  delivered  it  in  words 
that  burned  the  men  who  listened.  Such  sin  has 
no  right  to  expect  mercy. 

The  man  who  sees  most  deeply  into  the  heart 


i;o  THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA 

of  sin,  and  knows  it  at  its  worst,  is  the  man  who 
sees  most  clearly  how  inevitable  judgment  is; 
and  how,  therefore,  man  has  no  right  to  expect 
anything  other  than  judgment. 

Yet  the  greatest  revelation  of  the  book  is  that  of 
love.  In  the  midst  of  his  own  overwhelming  sor- 
row, God  called  Hosea,  and  commanded  him  to 
seek  again  the  sinning  Gomer,  and  to  bring  her 
back  into  the  wilderness  of  seclusion  for  a  while, 
but  ultimately  into  the  place  of  love  and  privilege 
at  his  own  side. 

As  through  her  infidelity  Hosea  entered  into 
understanding  of  the  sinfulness  of  sin ;  so  by 
God's  command  to  him  and  his  obedience  thereto, 
he  entered  into  understanding  of  how  God  loves 
even  in  spite  of  sin. 

These,  then,  are  the  three  matters  which  stand 
out  upon  the  page  of  this  prophecy.  It  reveals 
sin  as  to  what  it  is ;  it  reveals  judgment  as  in- 
evitable and  necessary ;  and  it  reveals  love  amaz- 
ingly. These  essential  principles  have  present 
application,  and  constitute  the  living  message  of 
the  book.  I  am  profoundly  convinced  that  we 
need  that  these  words  should  be  rediscovered  and 
respoken  in  every  successive  age.  The  common 
consciousness  of  the  Christian  Church  to-day  is 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA  171 

weak  on  all  these  fundamental  matters.  It  is 
weak  concerning  the  love  of  God,  because  it  has 
failed  to  understand  the  meaning  of  its  own  sin, 
and  the  consequent  necessity  for,  and  inevitability 
of  judgment.  I  repeat,  we  supremely  need  that 
the  message  of  this  book  concerning  sin,  judg- 
ment, and  love,  should  be  reconsidered. 

Hosea  teaches  us  that  the  most  heinous  and 
damnable  sin  of  which  man  is  capable  is  that  of 
infidelity  to  love.  This  is  the  sin  of  all  such  as 
have  been  brought  into  right  relationship  with 
God ;  and  then,  violating  love's  covenant,  have 
committed — let  us  use  the  word  which  we  fain 
would  not  use,  which  is  yet  stamped  upon  the 
pages  of  this  prophecy — spiritual  adultery.  Com- 
pared with  that,  the  animalism  and  brutality,  and 
consequent  corruption  of  heathen  nations  is  as 
nothing.  Hosea's  message  concerning  sin  leaves 
no  conclusion  other  than  that  it  were  infinitely 
better  never  to  have  had  the  light,  never  to  have 
known  love,  than  having  had  the  light  to  disobey 
it,  and  having  known  love  to  wound  it  by  in- 
fidelity. 

Such  sinning  generates  the  form  of  judgment 
which  follows  it.  If  this  book  teaches  one  thing 
clearly  on  the  subject  of  judgment,  it  is  that  judg- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA 

ment  is  never  the  stroke  of  God  inflicted  upon 
man  apart  from  man's  sin.  It  is  the  outworking 
of  the  seed  of  sin  to  harvest.  Judgment  lies 
potentially  in  the  act  of  sin.  Infidelity  to  love  can 
lead  nowhere  save  to  the  unutterable  darkness 
of  pollution.  No  surface  repentance,  which  is  a 
device  to  escape  punishment,  can  be  acceptable 
to  God.  "O  Ephraim,  what  shall  I  do  unto 
thee?  O  Judah,  what  shall  I  do  unto  thee?  for 
your  goodness  is  as  a  morning  cloud."  The 
penalties  of  apostasy  are  as  irrevocable  as  are 
the  laws  of  purity.  If  a  man  walk  in  the  ways  of 
purity,  the  harvest  of  blessing  must  follow ;  but 
if  a  man  shall  sin  against  love,  the  penalty  must 
fall. 

Yet  the  permanent  message  is  of  love.  Though 
the  pathway  of  love's  triumph  lies  through  suffer- 
ing, of  which  no  man  can  ever  know  the  measure ; 
though  the  cost  of  the  restoration  of  the  faithless 
Jover  be  that  of  the  bearing  of  judgment  by  the 
faithful  lover,  still  love  moves  right  onward,  sing- 
ing ever  the  song  of  the  victory  that  is  to  be.  We 
must  never  forget  how  this  book  of  Hosea  ends. 
Ephraim  says  at  last,  "  What  have  I  to  do  any 
more  with  idols  ?  "  When  that  word  is  uttered, 
the  victory  of  love  is  won.  The  process  of  judg- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA  173 

ment  was  certain,  and  so  clear  was  Hosea  about 
this,  that  he  declared  without  any  hesitation  that 
the  generation  to  which  he  spoke  would  never 
come  to  ultimate  triumph  ;  but  beyond  the  proc- 
ess, indeed  through  it,  he  saw  the  ultimate  tri- 
umph of  love. 

These,  as  I  understand  them,  constitute  the 
living  message  of  the  book.  To  emphasize 
either  of  the  thoughts  apart  from  the  rest  is 
to  minimize  the  value  of  the  whole.  Each  must 
be  pondered,  and  so  far  as  the  book  has  a  mes- 
sage to  our  age,  it  is  one  concerning  sin,  judg- 
ment, and  love. 

I  maintain  that  this  message  of  Hosea  cannot 
be  applied  to  the  nation,  to  our  own  nation  for 
instance,  because  it  is  so  peculiarly  a  message 
delivered  to  men  and  women  who  had  the  per- 
fect light,  that  is,  to  the  people  of  God.  More- 
over, this  message  was  not  delivered  to  any  one 
tribe.  Although  Ephraim  is  often  referred  to,  it 
is  as  the  dominant  tribe,  and  the  whole  nation  is 
involved.  It  is  a  message,  therefore,  to  the 
peculiar  people  of  God.  Consequently  no  appli- 
cation of  its  teaching  can  be  fair  except  an 
application  to  Christendom,  I  might  say  an  ap- 
plication of  its  teaching  to  the  Church,  if  by  the 


1/4  THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA 

Church  we  mean  all  that  organization  of  Christi- 
anity which  exists  in  the  world  to-day.  I  am, 
however,  increasingly  inclined  to  differentiate 
between  Christendom  and  the  Church,  increas- 
ingly inclined  to  believe  that  the  Church  of  God 
consists  of  those  known  only  to  God,  rather  than 
of  that  of  which  we  speak  as  the  Churches  or 
the  Church.  A  great  many  people  who  seem  to 
be  outside  all  Churches  are  in  the  Church  of 
God.  Consequently  the  message  of  this  book 
is  a  message  to  Christendom. 

The  first  note  has  to  do  with  sin.  The  causes 
of  the  Church's  failure  are  those  of  the  failure  of 
Israel  of  old,  spiritual  adultery,  spiritual  harlotry, 
and  that  self-centred  life  which  is  their  outcome. 
These  are  the  sins  which  lie  at  the  root  of  the 
Church's  weakness  at  the  present  hour. 

Spiritual  adultery  is  evidenced  by  the  pagan- 
ism which  has  become  admixed  with  the  things 
of  God.  It  is  supremely  manifest  in  the  Roman 
Church  and  the  Greek  Church,  but  is  found  in 
all  other  communities  in  the  degree  in  which 
they  are  of  the  habit  and  spirit  of  these  churches. 
The  things  which  result  from  the  Church's  alli- 
ance with  the  world  demonstrate  her  adultery, 
and  are  due  to  her  infidelity  to  love  ;  her  failure 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA  175 

to  remember  that  she  is  espoused  to  the  Lord 
Christ  as  His  bride,  and  ought  to  be  devoted  to 
Him  and  to  Him  alone.  The  harlotry  of  world- 
liness  is  manifest  in  every  direction.  Thousands 
who  name  the  name  of  Christ  are  taking  pos- 
sessions which  have  been  bestowed  by  God,  and 
are  spending  them  in  the  pursuit  of  unworthy 
ambitions  and  pleasures.  Those  by  covenant 
related  to  Christ  are  inflaming  themselves  with 
carnality  under  every  green  tree.  Through 
these  things  the  testimony  of  light  and  love 
which  the  Church  should  bear  to  the  nation  is 
failing,  and  the  name  of  God  is  being  profaned 
among  the  heathen. 

The  judgment  of  God  is  already  upon  the 
guilty,  upon  whom  His  love  is  set.  Hosea  deal- 
ing with  judgment  made  use  of  three  figures. 
He  spoke  of  the  judgment  of  the  moth,  then  of 
that  of  the  young  lion,  and  finally  of  that  most 
fearful  form,  the  withdrawal  of  God  from  His 
people,  so  that  they  are  left  desolate,  without 
testimony  and  without  power.  The  judgment 
of  the  moth  and  rottenness  is  that  of  the  insid- 
ious weakening  of  the  strength  of  His  people. 
That  judgment  is  evidently  upon  us  to-day.  It 
is  manifested  in  the  failure  of  the  hosts  of  God. 


i;6  THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA 

The  Church  of  God  as  a  whole  is  unable  to 
speak  any  authoritative  word  in  the  councils  of 
the  nations.  Indeed  the  judgment  of  the  moth 
and  rottenness  is  so  prevalent,  that  often,  instead 
of  helping  the  nation,  the  Church  hinders  it. 
The  Church  is  mourning  the  dearth  of  conver- 
sions within  her  own  borders,  wondering  at  the 
depletion  in  her  theological  schools,  and  lament- 
ing the  indifference  of  the  world  to  her  testi- 
mony. Like  Ephraim  she  turns  to  Egypt  and 
to  Assyria  for  help,  adopts  worldly  methods  for 
raising  money,  desecrates  the  temples  of  God 
with  bazaars,  and  attempts  to  attract  the  indif- 
ferent multitude  by  sensational  methods  and 
spectacular  displays.  The  judgment  of  God  is 
upon  us.  It  is  not  coming,  it  is  here.  It  is  first 
manifest  in  the  weakening  of  the  spiritual  forces 
of  the  Church,  and  in  her  inability  to  fulfill  her 
mission  in  the  world. 

Let  us  remember,  and  quite  solemnly,  that 
beyond  the  method  of  the  moth  and  rottenness 
is  the  method  of  the  young  lion,  the  fiercer  anger 
of  God ;  and  beyond  the  method  of  the  young 
lion  is  that  of  the  withdrawal  of  God  from  His 
own  people.  It  is  just  as  certain  that  God  will 
cast  off  the  organized  Church,  as  that  He  cast  off 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA  177 

Israel,  unless  she  return  to  Him  through  the 
Penitence  of  the  wilderness,  to  the  fullness  of  the 
fellowship  of  His  love.  I  am  not  now  dealing 
with  eternal  issues.  Israel  will  yet  be  restored, 
and  God  will  surely  accomplish  His  purpose  in 
and  through  the  Church.  But  so  far  as  we 
are  concerned,  unless  we  repent  in  dust  and 
ashes  of  our  harlotry  and  adultery,  we  shall  be 
abandoned  from  service,  the  solemn  word  will 
surely  be  uttered,  "Thou  canst  be  no  longer 
steward." 

Yet  it  is  ours  to  make  application  of  the  last 
of  these  great  truths.  Over  all  the  failure,  heart- 
breaking and  desolating  though  it  be,  there 
still  sounds  the  music  of  the  love  of  Jehovah. 
Though  Ephraim  be  a  cake  not  turned,  flaccid 
as  dough  on  one  side,  and  burned  to  a  cinder  on 
the  other,  utterly  useless  and  contemptible,  we 
may  still  hear  the  great  cry  out  of  the  heart  of 
God,  "  How  shall  I  give  thee  up,  Ephraim  ?  " 

The  only  comfort  that  comes  to  the  heart  in 
the  days  of  the  failure  of  the  Church  is  that  the 
music  of  the  love  of  Jehovah  is  still  sounding, 
and  the  soul  is  filled  with  the  assurance  that  He 
has  not  exhausted  all  His  methods.  Another 
crisis  is  coming.  The  present  dispensation  was 


1/8  THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA 

ushered  in  by  the  crisis  of  the  first  Advent,  and 
a  new  dispensation  will  be  ushered  in  by  the 
crisis  of  the  second  Advent;  and  beyond  that, 
and  through  it  He  will  realize  the  triumph  of 
love.  "  I  will  redeem  ;  I  will  bring  back."  At 
the  coming  of  Christ,  love  will  triumph  through 
judgment,  and  over  judgment  Love  must  at 
last  accomplish  its  purpose. 

But  Hosea  had  to  tell  the  men  and  women  to 
whom  he  spoke  that  the  triumph  was  postponed, 
and  that  they  could  never  share  in  its  ultimate 
fulfillment,  save  in  the  case  of  such  individuals  as 
by  return  to  God  would  discover  the  real  mean- 
ing of  His  love  for  them. 

I  am  not  prepared  to  make  that  declaration. 
I  do  not  know  that  it  is  so.  Of  times  and 
seasons  I  have  no  right  to  speak ;  they  are  not 
within  my  knowledge  or  understanding.  I  do 
say  that  the  Church  needs  supremely  to  remember 
that  the  highest,  most  wonderful,  and  most 
inspiring  figure  of  her  relationship  to  God  is 
that  which  declares  she  is  the  bride  of  Christ. 
If  that  be  once  recognized,  the  sinfulness  of 
spiritual  adultery  and  harlotry  with  the  forces 
which  are  opposed  to  Him  will  be  realized. 

We  need  to  remember  that  when  the  Church 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HOSEA  179 

is  guilty  of  these  sins  it  is  inevitable  that  the 
judgment  of  God  should  rest  upon  her. 

We  may  also  remember  that  He  loves  her 
yet ;  and  as  the  members  of  His  body,  His  flesh, 
His  bones,  turn  back  to  Him  in  loyalty  of  spirit, 
He  will  receive  them  in  the  fullness  of  His  love, 
and  the  great  word  may  be  spoken  of  all  such, 
"  I  will  heal  their  backsliding." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  The  Illustration  of  Principles 

i.  The  Principles.     Government     Grace. 

a.  Government. 

1.  Jehovah  enthroned. 

2.  Presiding  in  Patience. 

3.  Pressing  all  Forces  into  His  Service. 

4.  Finally  asserting  Himself. 

b.  Grace. 

1.  The  Inspiration  of  Government 

2.  The  Restraint  on  Judgment 

3.  The  Issue  of  Government 
ii.  The  Illustrations. 

a.  Of  Government. 

1.  The  Locust  Plague.     The  Act  of  God. 

2.  The  imminent  Judgment,     ii.  II. 

3.  The  final  Movements.    The  Day  of  Jehovah. 
6.  Of  Grace. 

1.  The  Call  to  Repentance  presupposes  it 

2.  The  Declaration  announces  it     ii.  12. 

3.  The  Patience  and  the  Purpose  declare  it 

1L  The  Revelation  of  a  Plan 

i.  The  Immediate. 

a.  Judgment. 

b.  The  Promise  of  Deliverance. 

ii.  "  Afterwards."     The  poured-out  Spirit 
liL  The  Day  of  the  Lord. 

a.  Restoration  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem. 

b.  The  Finding  of  Israel. 

e.  The  Judgment  of  the  Nations. 

d.  Restoration  of  Israel. 

e.  Supremacy  of  Judah. 


I.  The  Principles 

The  Day  of  the  Lord 
always  present  and 
always  coming. 

IThis  is  the  Day  of  the 
Lord. 
It  is  also  to  come ! 
Through  all  we  are  to 
rejoice    in    and    pro- 
claim Grace. 
Ever    insisting    on   the 
Conditions. 


II.  The  Plan 

We  must  recognize  our 

Place. 
Proclaim  the  Fullness  of 

the  Spirit. 
Urge  Men  to  call  on  the 

Name  of  the  Lord. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL 

TAKING  it  for  granted  that  we  are  fa- 
miliar with  the  contents  of  the  book  of 
Joel,  in  order  to  the  discovery  of  its 
permanent  values  we  need  to  remind  ourselves 
of  the  threefold  vision  of  the  prophet. 

In  the  first  place  we  have  his  vision  of  the 
things  that  were  nearest  to  him,  the  circum- 
stances in  the  midst  of  which  he  and  the  men  to 
whom  he  spoke  were  living.  An  actual  plague 
of  locusts  had  swept  over  the  land,  and  the  first 
part  of  his  message  was  delivered  in  view  of  the 
desolation  resulting  from  that  plague. 

The  second  vision  was  that  of  judgment  of  a 
more  serious  character  threatening  the  people, 
that,  namely,  of  the  coming  of  an  army  which  he 
described,  using  the  locust  plague  for  purposes 
of  illustration. 

The  third  vision  was  that  of  things  beyond  his 
own  day  and  generation. 

Joel  looked  around  and  saw  the  results  of  the 

locust  plague.     He  looked  ahead  and  saw  the 

181 


182  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL 

new  judgment  coming  upon  his  people.  Then 
climbing  to  a  yet  higher  height  he  saw  the 
things  of  the  far  distances.  In  each  case  he 
recognized  the  activity  of  Jehovah,  and  spoke  of 
"  the  day  of  the  Lord."  The  locust  plague  was 
"  the  day  of  the  Lord."  The  swift  judgment 
coming  upon  his  people  would  be  "  the  day  of 
the  Lord."  The  far  distant  vision  was  also  that 
of  "  the  day  of  the  Lord." 

The  whole  prophecy  is  the  result  of  a  vision 
in  perspective  of  the  highway  of  Jehovah 
through  the  centuries;  while  the  burden  of  the 
book  is  expressed  in  the  phrase,  "  the  day  of  the 
Lord."  Whether  the  prophet  looked  at  the 
things  in  the  midst  of  which  he  lived,  or  whether 
he  looked  at  the  judgment  which  was  imminent, 
or  whether  he  looked  to  the  final  activites,  he 
saw  "  the  day  of  the  Lord."  To  him  that  day 
had  always  come,  and  was  always  coming.  It 
was  the  burden  of  his  prophesying. 

The  permanent  values  of  the  book  are  first,  its 
illustration  of  the  principles  of  the  Divine  govern 
ment ;  and  secondly,  its  revelation  of  the  plan  of 
God  in  the  ages. 

Its  illustration  of  the  principles  of  Divine 
government.  I  use  these  words  quite  carefully. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL  183 

I  do  not  say  its  declaration  of  the  principles,  be- 
cause those  are  to  be  found  in  the  prophecy  of 
Isaiah,  in  which,  after  the  vision  of  the  established 
throne,  its  active  principles  of  government  and 
grace  are  declared.  In  this  book  of  Joel  those 
principles  are  illustrated. 

First  as  to  the  activity  of  the  throne  in  govern- 
ment. From  first  to  last  we  are  made  conscious 
of  the  enthroned  Jehovah.  Whatever  were  the 
signs  of  the  times,  whatever  the  defection  of  the 
people,  whatever  the  perils  threatening  them,  the 
one  main  impression  made  upon  the  mind  is  that 
of  Jehovah  enthroned,  presiding  in  patience  over 
all  the  processes  through  which  His  people  pass  ; 
pressing  into  His  service  all  forces,  the  forces  of 
nature,  the  locusts ;  human  forces,  the  coming 
army  ;  and  finally  asserting  Himself  in  absolute 
and  unqualified  victory.  Every  day  to  this  man 
was  "  the  day  of  the  Lord."  The  final  "  day  of 
the  Lord  "  is  postponed,  but  it  is  absolutely  cer- 
tain. That  will  be  the  day  of  His  established 
victory.  The  long-sightedness  of  this  prophet 
is  evident  when  we  remember  that  the  things  he 
described  at  the  close  have  not  yet  taken  place. 
He  saw  the  near  things,  the  sin  of  his  people, 
and  the  locust  plague ;  the  imminent  things,  the 


184  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL 

coming  of  judgment,  and  the  restoration  follow- 
ing it ;  the  far  things,  the  day  of  the  Spirit  in 
which  we  are  living,  and  the  things  beyond. 

Yet  even  this  prophecy  does  not  give  the  final 
things  ;  but  only  the  beginning,  the  ushering  in 
of  that  last  dispensation  of  God  when  He  will 
have  won  His  victory  and  taken  to  Himself  the 
reins  of  government,  and  demolished  all  other 
authority  and  power.  The  Kingdom  of  the  Son 
which  lies  beyond  the  millennium  is  not  in  view 
in  this  prophecy. 

As  we  read  this  book  then,  the  first  impression 
made  upon  the  mind  is  that  of  the  throne  of 
God,  and  of  God  ever  active  in  government 

The  second  fact  illustrated  is  that  at  the  heart 
of  government  is  grace.  Grace  is  the  inspiration 
of  government.  It  is  seen  acting  as  a  restraint 
upon  judgment,  so  that  the  locust  plague  was 
the  occasion  of  the  prophet's  appeal  to  his  peo- 
ple to  repent ;  so  that  his  declaration  of  the 
judgment  which  he  affirmed  to  be  imminent 
opened  the  way  for  him  to  make  the  appeal  of 
God  to  the  people  to  return  to  Him,  and  rend 
their  hearts  rather  than  their  garments.  When 
we  come  to  the  ultimate  triumph  it  is  not  that  of 
a  conqueror  who  rejoices  that  he  has  broken  and 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL  185 

crushed,  but  that  of  a  conqueror  who  rejoices 
that  he  gives  peace,  and  honour,  and  deliver- 
ance, and  beauty.  Looking  at  the  issue  of 
government  we  understand  its  inspiration.  That 
issue  is  beneficent,  glorious,  and  beautiful,  and  by 
these  things  we  are  assured  that  its  inspiration 
is  the  tender  grace  of  the  heart  of  God. 
Through  all  the  processes  of  necessary  judgment 
leading  to  the  establishment  of  His  Kingdom  ; 
the  locust  plague,  the  coming  army,  the  final 
conflict,  there  is  evident  the  restraint  of  grace,  be- 
cause grace  inspires  the  process,  and  is  the  ulti- 
mate triumph  to  wards  which  every  thing  is  moving. 
Let  us  observe  how  these  principles  of  govern- 
ment and  grace  are  illustrated.  Of  the  locust 
plague  men  would  say,  This  is  a  sore  misfortune. 
No  one  could  foresee  it,  or  prevent  it.  It  has 
swept  over  the  country,  and  so  devastated  every- 
thing, that  no  drunkard  can  obtain  wine,  that 
there  are  no  offerings  for  the  temple,  that  the  peo- 
ple throughout  the  land  are  lacking  bread.  It  is 
a  terrible  devastation,  but  no  one  could  prevent  it ! 
Then  the  prophet  delivered  his  message,  that  the 
plague  had  come  by  the  will  and  act  of  God.  The 
age  was  forgetting  God,  and  Joel  stood  in  the 
midst  of  the  devastation  and  declared  that  the 


1 86  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL 

things  of  which  men  spoke  as  simple  happenings 
in  the  course  of  nature,  were  as  a  matter  of  fact 
the  immediate  and  direct  acts  of  God  in  judg- 
ment. He  insisted  upon  the  fact  of  the  Divine 
government  as  he  declared  that  the  day  of  dev- 
astation and  the  plague  was  "  the  day  of  the 
Lord."  He  called  the  old  men  and  the  drunkards, 
the  possessors  of  the  land,  and  all  the  people  to 
observe  the  destruction,  and  to  recognize  that  it 
resulted  from  the  immediate  action  of  God.  This 
he  declared  also  concerning  the  judgment  which 
was  about  to  come.  In  his  graphic  description 
of  the  destroying  army  he  said,  "  The  Lord 
uttereth  His  voice  before  His  army,"  thus 
calling  them  to  recognize  the  invading  foe  as 
acting  under  the  government  of  God.  When  we 
come  to  the  final  movement  no  argument  is 
needed.  It  is  most  certainly  a  prophecy  of  the 
going  forth  of  God,  turning  the  captivity  of  Judah 
and  Jerusalem,  seeking  and  finding  His  scattered 
people,  breaking  the  power  of  the  nations  that 
have  oppressed  them,  restoring  Israel,  and  rais- 
ing Judah  to  the  place  of  supremacy. 

Thus  whether  Joel  looked  at  the  near,  the  im- 
minent, or  the  distant,  he  insisted  upon  the  pres- 
ence and  activity  of  God. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL  187 

With  equal  clearness  he  illustrated  the  fact  of 
the  Divine  grace.  The  call  to  repentance  in  the 
first  place  presupposes  the  grace  of  the  Divine 
heart.  The  declaration  of  the  second  is  perfectly 
clear,  "  Yet  even  now,  saith  the  Lord,  turn  ye 
unto  Me  with  all  your  heart,  and  with  fasting, 
and  with  weeping,  and  with  mourning :  and  rend 
your  heart,  and  not  your  garments,  and  turn  unto 
the  Lord  your  God :  for  He  is  gracious  and  full 
of  compassion,  slow  to  anger,  and  plenteous  in 
mercy,  and  repenteth  Him  of  the  evil."  That  is 
to  say,  He  will  change  His  mind  concerning 
judgment,  when  men  rend  their  hearts  and  not 
their  garments,  and  turn  back  to  Him.  He  is 
slow  to  anger.  He  halts  the  march  of  His  wrath 
in  order  that  men  may  repent. 

When  we  come  to  the  final  movement,  the 
grace  is  as  clearly  manifest.  "  I  will  show  won- 
ders in  the  heavens  and  in  the  earth,  blood,  and 
fire,  and  pillars  of  smoke."  That  is  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  great  and  terrible  day  of  the  Lord ; 
but  even  then  His  grace  will  wait  and  act,  "  for  in 
Mount  Zion  and  in  Jerusalem  there  shall  be  those 
that  escape,  as  the  Lord  hath  said,  and  among 
the  remnant  these  whom  the  Lord  doth  call." 

Thus  throughout  the  prophecy,  in  the  things 


1 88  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL 

that  are  near,  in  the  things  that  are  imminent 
and  in  the  things  of  the  final  movement  of  God, 
the  two  facts  plainly  evident  are  those  of  the 
Divine  government  and  the  Divine  grace.  These 
constitute  the  first  permanent  value  of  the  book. 

Now  as  to  the  second ;  we  have  in  this  book 
the  revelation  of  a  plan.  Looking  forward  Joel 
saw  beyond  the  circumstances  in  the  midst  of 
which  he  lived,  and  beyond  those  immediately 
following,  another  day  of  the  Lord ;  but  ere  its 
dawning  a  period  undated  and  unmeasured,  yet 
full  of  gracious  and  wonderful  blessing. 

"  It  shall  come  to  pass  afterwards,  that  I  will 
pour  out  My  Spirit."  We  are  not  able  to  say 
that  we  do  not  know  where  to  place  that  period, 
because  we  have  the  New  Testament  in  our 
hands,  and  therein  the  clearly  spoken  word  of  the 
apostle  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  "This  is  that 
which  hath  been  spoken  by  the  prophet  Joel." 
We  know  now  what  it  was  that  Joel  saw  in  dim 
outline,  which  he  could  not  perfectly  describe, 
yet  which  he  did  so  accurately  describe.  He 
saw  the  glorious  outpouring  somewhere  in  the 
distance.  He  was  unable  definitely  to  place  it  j 
and  referred  to  its  distance  by  that  indefinite 
word  "  afterwards."  We  know  that  it  lay  at  least 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL  189 

five  centuries  away  from  the  day  in  which  he 
uttered  his  prophecy. 

The  vision  was  most  remarkable  as  that  of  a 
Hebrew  prophet,  because  it  foretold  the  outpour- 
ing of  the  Spirit  upon  all  flesh,  not  merely  upon 
Israel,  not  only  upon  the  elect,  but  upon  all 
flesh. 

He  saw,  moreover,  that  this  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit  and  its  results  were  to  be  irrespective  of 
caste;  not  merely  upon  the  favoured,  kings, 
princes,  priests,  and  rulers,  but  also  upon  bond- 
slaves. 

Joel  saw  the  strange  and  wonderful  age  in  the 
distance.  We  are  living  in  that  age.  There  is 
no  single  statement  in  the  Bible  which  enables  us 
to  say  how  long  it  will  last,  not  a  single  note  to 
enable  us  to  measure  it. 

Beyond  the  age  of  the  Spirit  he  saw  other 
activities  of  the  Divine  government.  Looking 
towards  them  he  said,  "  I  will  show  wonders  in 
the  heavens  and  in  the  earth,  blood,  and  fire,  and 
pillars  of  smoke.  The  sun  shall  be  turned  into 
darkness,  and  the  moon  into  blood,  before  the 
great  and  terrible  day  of  the  Lord  come." 
These  are  not  the  signs  of  the  age  of  the  Spirit. 
They  will  indicate  its  close,  and  initiate  a  new 


190  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL 

age  which  is  that  of  the  final  day  of  the  Lord. 
During  the  period  of  these  signs  "  it  shall  come 
to  pass  that  whosoever  shall  call  on  the  name  of 
the  Lord  shall  be  delivered  "  ;  delivered,  that  is, 
from  "  the  great  and  terrible  day  of  the  Lord." 
Thus  we  see  the  plan  of  the  ages.  Joel  saw  that 
the  age  in  which  he  lived  continued  to  a  certain 
point,  and  its  characteristics  would  be  those  of 
sin,  of  judgment,  and  of  repentance.  Then  he 
saw  that  day  of  the  Lord  moving  on  towards  an- 
other day  of  the  Lord,  in  which  the  characteris- 
tics of  government  and  grace  would  be  even 
more  marked.  Afterwards  he  saw  something 
new,  the  Spirit  poured  upon  all  flesh,  a  quiet  hush 
descending  everywhere  ;  no  longer  the  old  mani- 
festations, but  a  new  order  of  prophesying,  dream- 
ing of  dreams,  seeing  of  visions,  and  breaking 
down  of  caste  so  that  slaves  also  would  be  among 
the  prophets.  Then  signs  in  the  heavens  and  in 
the  earth,  and  beyond  these,  "  the  great  and  ter- 
rible day  of  the  Lord." 

As  to  that  great  day  the  prophetic  word  was 
far  more  definite.  His  words  concerning  the  age 
of  the  Spirit  were  to  him  full  of  mystery,  but  to 
us  are  clear.  Beyond  that  age  of  the  Spirit  his 
vision  was  clearer,  and  he  gave  a  definite  descrip- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL  191 

tion  of  what  would  happen.  Judah  and  Jerusa- 
lem are  to  be  delivered  from  captivity  and  from 
scattering  among  the  nations.  God  will  search 
among  the  nations  for  the  lost  and  scattered 
Israel,  and  gather  them  together  ;  He  will  judge 
the  nations,  and  the  basis  of  His  judgment  will 
be  that  of  their  attitude  towards  Israel.  Israel 
will  be  restored  to  privilege  and  power  ;  and  the 
supremacy  of  Judah  will  be  established  in  the 
midst  of  the  restored  order. 

None  of  these  things  have  yet  been  fulfilled. 
As  surely  as  they  were  written,  they  will  be  ful- 
filled. Place  Joel  as  late  as  we  may,  allow  the 
latest  scholar  to  have  his  way,  and  declare  that 
he  spoke  only  four  centuries  before  Christ ;  it  is 
still  enough  if  we  admit  that  so  long  before  the 
Pentecostal  miracle  this  man  saw  it,  to  warrant  us 
in  saying  that  none  has  the  right  to  deny  that  the 
things  which  our  eyes  have  not  seen  will  be  seen. 
So  surely  as  Joel  wrote,  God  will  act,  and  in  his 
brief  writing  we  have  a  remarkable  unveiling  of 
the  plan  of  the  ages. 

The  living  message  results  from  these  per- 
manent values.  From  them  we  learn  that  "  the 
day  of  the  Lord  "  is  always  present  and  always 
coming. 


192  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL 

"  Who  would  sit  down  and  sigh  for  a  lost  age  of  gold 
While  the  Lord  of  all  ages  is  here  ?  " 

There  are  those  who  deny  that  there  ever  will 
be  a  "  day  of  the  Lord  "  in  which  He  will  act  in 
judgment  On  the  other  hand  there  are  those 
who  are  ever  looking  towards  the  future  "  day 
of  the  Lord,"  forgetting  that  this  also  is  the  "  day 
of  the  Lord." 

God  is  active  at  this  hour.  If  that  be  denied, 
if  it  be  true  that  God  is  doing  nothing,  then  the 
outlook  is  indeed  hopeless.  This  is  "  the  day  of 
the  Lord,"  but  it  is  not  the  final  day.  There  is  a 
sense  in  which  this  is  man's  day.  It  is  an  age  of 
remarkable  progress.  Inventions  are  multiplied. 
Human  culture  has  reached  a  level  never  before 
attained.  Progress,  inventions,  culture  are  mak- 
ing man  imagine  that  he  is  independent  of  God. 
There  is  a  wide-spread  tendency  to  the  deification 
of  human  reason  and  human  ability.  It  is 
peculiarly  the  age  in  which  humanity  is  acting  as 
though  there  were  no  God,  or  as  though  it  were 
entirely  independent  of  Him.  The  results  are 
disastrous  to  all  that  is  highest  and  best  in  human 
life.  All  our  progress  and  inventions  and  culture 
leave  us  infinitely  less  than  the  highest,  noblest 
and  best  possibilities  of  our  being.  But  this  is 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL  193 

also  "  the  day  of  the  Lord  "  ;  and  the  activities 
in  the  midst  of  which  we  find  ourselves,  if  our 
eyes  are  but  anointed  to  see,  are  activities  bathed 
in  the  fire  of  His  presence.  Let  no  man  think  he 
escapes  God  because  he  denies  Him.  To  go 
back  to  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  "  Who  among  us 
shall  dwell  with  the  devouring  fire  ?  Who 
among  us  shall  dwell  with  everlasting  burnings  ?" 
Isaiah  saw  the  city  and  people  of  his  age  exist- 
ing in  fire.  The  everlasting  burnings  are  not 
postponed.  We  live  in  the  midst  of  them.  I 
cannot  tell  how  much  Isaiah  knew  of  what  we 
call  modern  science.  It  is,  however,  perfectly 
evident  that  its  teachings  were  apprehended  by 
him  in  the  spiritual  realm.  Modern  science  has 
revealed  to  us  the  fact  that  there  is  a  slowly 
burning  fire  everywhere  in  nature.  We  leave 
iron  in  the  dews  of  the  night,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing declare  it  rusted.  Scientists  tell  us  rust  is 
the  evidence  of  the  slowly  burning  fire.  In  the 
autumn  we  watch  the  leaves  turning  to  gold  and 
vermilion,  and  this  also  is  the  work  of  the  same 
fire.  Isaiah  recognizing  such  a  fire  in  the  spirit- 
ual realm  asked  Who  can  dwell  in  it?  and  an- 
swered his  own  enquiry,  "  He  that  walketh 
righteously,  and  speaketh  uprightly."  Every- 


194  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL 

thing  else  it  destroys.  London  is  wrapped  in 
the  fire  of  God's  nearness.  This  is  the  day  of 
God.  The  throne  of  judgment  is  erected  now. 

That,  however,  is  not  all ;  there  is  the  final 
judgment  throne.  Every  age  will  repeat  the 
process  until  the  last,  in  which  He  will  finally 
deal  with  the  sinning  earth,  in  order  that  through 
the  last  fire  baptism  He  may  realize  all  the  pur- 
pose upon  which  His  heart  is  set.  Yet  thank 
God,  there  is  committed  to  us  also  the  ministry 
of  reconciliation.  Through  all  the  movements 
there  are  evidences  of  His  grace,  and  it  is  ours 
to  rejoice  in,  and  proclaim  that  grace,  always  in- 
sisting upon  the  only  conditions  upon  which 
grace  can  operate,  "  Rend  your  heart  and  not 
your  garments." 

The  final  word  of  the  living  message  is  this. 
We  are  to  remember  where  we  are  in  the  plan  of 
the  ages.  We  are  in  the  midst  of  the  age  of  the 
outpoured  Spirit.  The  message  we  have  to  de- 
liver to  men  is  that  of  the  possibility  of  the  full- 
ness of  the  life  of  the  Spirit.  Our  business  is  to 
urge  men  to  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and 
thus  to  be  saved  from  the  judgment  of  His  im- 
mediate day ;  from  the  judgment  of  His  immi- 
nent day ;  from  the  judgment  of  His  final  day. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JOEL  195 

Let  it  be  ours,  who  know  anything  of  what  it 
is  to  have  received  the  Spirit,  to  hand  over  to 
that  indwelling  One  all  the  keys  of  all  the 
chambers  of  the  being,  that  He  may  fill  us,  and 
use  us  as  the  instruments  of  both  the  govern- 
ment and  the  grace  of  God. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


I.  The   Philosophy  of  the  Di- 
vine Government 

As  illustrated  in  the  Nations. 
i.  The   Fact      Assumed   and 

Applied. 
it  The  Method. 

a.  Divine     Knowledge     of 

National  Interrelation- 
ship. 

b.  Light   creates   Responsi- 

bility. 

c.  The  Divine  Patience. 

iii.  The     Aim.     Establishment 
of  Highest  Conditions. 

II.  The  Practice  of  the  Divine 

Government 
As  illustrated  in  Israel. 
i.  Privilege  and  its  Issue, 
ii.  The  Sins  of  the  Privileged, 
iii.  The  Judgment  of  the  Priv- 
ileged. 

III.  The  Promises  of  the  Divine 

Government,     ix.  11-15 
As  accomplished  by  Jehovah, 
i.  Preliminary  Restoration. 
11-13. 

a.  "  I  will." 

b.  "  That  they  may." 

ii.  Progressive  Restoration.  14. 

a.  "I  will." 

b.  «  They  shall." 

iii.  Permanent  Restoration.    15. 

a.  "  I  will." 

b.  "  They  shall" 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  To  the  Nations 

i.  The  national  Sins  which  God  punishes. 

a.  Cruelty.  Sin  of  Samaria. 

b.  Slave  Trade.  Sin  of  Philistia. 

c.  Slave  Agents  in  spite  of 

Covenant  Sin  of  Phoenicia. 

d.  Determined      and      re- 

vengeful     Unforgive- 
ness. 


e.  Cruelty   based 
pidity. 


Cu- 


f. Violent    and  vindictive 

Hatred. 

g.  Jehovah's      Laws     de- 

spised. 
A.  Corruption  and  Oppres- 


Sin  of  Edom. 
Sin  of  Ammon. 
Sin  of  Moab. 
Sin  of  judah. 


son.  Sin  of  Israel, 

ii.  Peoples  chosen  to  be  Depository  of  Truth  mus* 

be  righteous, 
iii.  There  is  no  escape  from  Doom  but  by  way  ol 

Penitence, 
iv.  Yet  let  the  hearts  of  the  Loyal  be  established. 

II.  To  the  Holy  Nation 

i.  No  countenance  to  national  sins, 
ii.  Rejoice  in  the  final  Victory  which  is  assured 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS 

THE  prophecy  of  Amos  is  unique  in  that 
it  differs  in  some  ways  from  the  others 
in  the  Divine  library.  It  is  peculiar  in 
that  the  prophet  himself  was  neither  a  prophet, 
nor  the  son  of  a  prophet.  These  terms,  however, 
must  be  understood  technically.  When  he  de- 
clared "  I  was  no  prophet ;  neither  was  I  a  proph- 
et's son,"  he  meant  that  he  was  not  recog- 
nized as  a  prophet,  nor  had  he  been  to  one  ol 
the  schools  of  the  prophets.  In  the  language  of 
our  own  day,  he  was  a  layman,  and  an  untrained 
man  withal.  The  prophecy  is  preeminently  pe- 
culiar in  the  matter  of  outlook.  There  is  a 
most  significant  omission  from  this  book.  Amos 
never  used  the  phrase  so  common  in  other  writ- 
ings, "  the  God  of  Israel."  His  outlook  was  a 
far  wider  one.  It  is  only  as  we  recognize  this 
fact  that  we  can  appreciate  the  real  value  of  the 
book. 

According  to  Amos,  Jehovah  roars  over  Zion, 

and   utters  His  voice  over  Jerusalem,  but  the 

197 


198  THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS 

things  He  has  to  say  are  said  to  Damascus,  Gaza, 
Tyre,  Edom,  Ammon,  Moab,  Judah,  and  Israel. 
As  we  read  these  messages  of  Jehovah  we  are 
impressed  by  the  fact  that  there  is  no  peculiar 
and  startling  gap  between  the  first  six  and  the 
last  two.  It  is  one  continuous  message  begin- 
ning with  the  word  of  Jehovah  to  Damascus  and 
ending  with  His  word  to  Israel.  Amos  spoke  as 
one  who  saw  God  to  be  not  the  God  of  Israel 
and  Judah  only,  but  also  the  God  of  Damascus, 
Gaza,  Tyre,  Edom,  Ammon  and  Moab. 

In  this  prophecy,  therefore,  God  is  seen  as  de- 
tached, and  yet  directing ;  detached  from  the 
prophetic  order,  and  yet  directing  through  a  man 
who  became  in  the  fullest,  finest  sense  of  the 
word  a  prophet ;  detached  from  every  nation, 
and  yet  directing  all,  governing  the  affairs  of 
each. 

The  permanent  values  of  the  book  are  three. 
First  it  gives  us  the  philosophy  of  the  Divine  gov- 
ernment in  the  comprehensiveness  of  its  outlook. 
Secondly  it  reveals  the  practice  of  the  Divine 
government  in  that  while  the  prophet  was  care- 
ful to  begin  with  the  distant  nations  in  order 
to  show  that  the  principles  of  government  are 
the  same  in  all  nations,  his  supreme  illustration 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS  199 

is  that  of  the  application  to  Israel.  Finally,  in  a 
brief  and  yet  suggestive  paragraph  with  which 
the  book  closes,  we  have  the  promise  of  the  Di- 
vine government. 

First,  then,  as  to  the  philosophy.  The  fact  of 
Divine  government  is  recognized.  Amos  never 
affirmed  it,  never  argued  it,  but  from  the  first 
chapter  to  the  last  assumed  it,  and  applied  it. 
The  supreme  atmosphere  of  the  book  is  that  of 
the  government  of  God.  That  fact  being  recog- 
nized, we  discover  in  the  method  of  the  prophet 
a  revelation  of  the  method  of  God's  government. 
Amos  reveals  the  standard  of  the  requirement, 
the  principle  of  the  administration,  and  the  pa- 
tience of  the  method  of  God. 

As  to  the  standard  of  requirement ;  all  the 
denunciations  of  the  nations  are  denunciations 
called  forth  by  the  fact  that  they  have  harmed 
other  nations.  The  charge  against  Syria  was 
that  of  cruelty  ;  against  Philistia,  that  of  her  slave 
trade ;  against  Phoenicia,  that  she  had  acted  as 
slave  agent  in  spite  of  a  covenant  made  in  which 
she  promised  not  to  do  so  ;  against  Edom,  that 
of  determined  and  revengeful  unforgiveness ; 
against  Ammon,  that  of  cruelty  based  upon 
cupidity ;  against  Moab,  that  of  violent  and  vin- 


200  THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS 

dictive  hatred ;  against  Judah,  the  only  case  in 
which  the  description  recognizes  the  relation  of 
the  people  to  God  Himself,  the  charge  was  dis- 
missed in  a  brief  word  as  that  of  having  been 
guilty  of  despising  the  laws  of  God.  Finally,  in 
the  case  of  Israel  the  charge  was  that  she  had 
become  corrupt,  and  had  oppressed  the  poor  and 
needy  within  her  own  borders.  Thus  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  denunciations  of  the  nations  were 
due  to  their  having  violated  the  rights  of  human- 
ity ;  and  thus  it  is  evident  that  the  standard  of 
God's  requirement  in  His  government  of  the 
nations  is  that  of  their  attitude  towards  other 
nations. 

Then  we  have  the  principle  of  government  re- 
vealed. We  see  that  principle  as  we  watch  the 
method.  The  severest  words  of  denunciation 
were  reserved  for  Israel.  The  judgment  de- 
scribed as  falling  upon  her  was  far  more  terrible 
than  that  upon  either  of  the  other  nations.  It  is 
impossible  to  read  these  messages  without  dis- 
covering that  the  principle  of  government  is  that 
light  creates  responsibility,  and  the  nations  are 
judged  by  God  according  to  the  light  they  have 
received.  National  privilege  spells  national 
responsibility.  If  light  be  refused,  then  judg' 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS  201 

ment  is  far  severer  than  when  light  has  been 
lacking. 

Finally,  we  have  the  patience  of  the  method 
of  God.  As  we  read  these  messages  we  notice 
how  each  one  begins.  "  For  three  .  .  .  yea, 
for  four."  This  is  a  figurative  way  of  declaring 
that  God  does  not  act  immediately  in  judgment, 
but  that  He  waits  in  order  to  give  every  nation 
the  chance  of  repentance. 

We  have  thus  in  this  book  not  merely  the 
revelation  of  the  requirements,  and  of  the  stand- 
ard, and  of  the  patience  of  the  government  of 
God ;  but  through  these  things  we  clearly  see 
the  aim  of  God  in  government.  If  cruelty 
makes  Him  angry,  it  is  because  His  heart  is  set 
upon  kindness.  If  oppression  stirs  up  His  wrath, 
it  is  because  His  purpose  for  man  is  that  he 
should  live  in  peace.  If  the  sorrows  inflicted 
upon  man  by  man  call  down  His  judgment,  it  is 
because  the  one  great  desire  of  His  heart  for 
humanity  is  that  of  its  well-being  and  happiness. 
His  government  always  moves  towards  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  best  and  highest  conditions. 
God  is  angry  with  everything  that  mars ;  strife, 
cruelty,  war,  oppression,  because  these  are 
against  the  aim  of  His  government.  In  the 


202  THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS 

closing  paragraph  in  which  the  prophet  looks 
on  to  the  day  of  ultimate  restoration  of  the 
chosen  people,  his  words  are  full  of  suggestive- 
ness.  "  I  will  bring  again  the  captivity  of  My 
people  Israel,  and  they  shall  build  the  waste 
cities,  and  inhabit  them;  and  they  shall  plant 
vineyards,  and  drink  the  wine  thereof ;  they  shall 
also  make  gardens,  and  eat  the  fruit  of  them. 
And  I  will  plant  them  upon  their  land,  and  they 
shall  no  more  be  plucked  up  out  of  their  land 
which  I  have  given  them,  saith  the  Lord."  The 
profits  are  to  go  to  the  toilers.  That  is  a  picture 
of  the  perfect  order  ultimately  to  be  established  in 
the  world ;  all  oppression,  wrong,  and  fruitless 
toil  forever  done  away.  Thus  whether  we  con- 
sider the  charges  the  prophet  made  against  the 
nations  concerning  their  sin  against  God,  or 
whether  we  look  at  that  last  chapter,  we  see  that 
the  aim  of  God's  government  is  that  of  the  es- 
tablishment of  conditions  in  the  midst  of  which 
it  shall  be  possible  for  humanity  to  realize  its 
true  life,  and  live  in  the  full  enjoyment  thereof. 
That  is  the  first  permanent  value  of  the  book. 

The  second  value  is  found  in  an  examination 
of  the  practice  of  the  Divine  government  as  it  is 
specially  illustrated  in  the  case  of  the  nation  of 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS  203 

Israel.  The  prophet  declared  "  Hear  this  word 
that  Jehovah  hath  spoken  against  you,  O  children 
of  Israel,  against  the  whole  family  which  I 
brought  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  saying, 
You  only  have  I  known  of  all  the  families  of  the 
earth  :  therefore  I  will  visit  upon  you  all  your 
iniquities."  No  people  had  ever  had  the  light 
which  had  been  granted  to  Israel.  No  people 
had  ever  been  brought  into  such  intimate  rela- 
tionship with  God  as  they  had.  The  prophet 
moreover  declared  that  God  had  definitely  re- 
vealed His  mind  to  them  through  the  prophets, 
"  Surely  the  Lord  God  will  do  nothing,  but  He 
revealeth  His  secret  unto  His  servants  the 
prophets."  In  these  two  passages  Amos  in- 
sisted upon  the  privileges  of  these  people. 

Now  let  us  consider  what  he  said  concerning 
the  sins  of  the  privileged  people.  When  he 
came  to  deal  definitely  and  specifically  with 
these  sins,  he  did  so  by  describing  the  luxury 
and  wantonness  of  the  women.  "  Hear  this  word, 
ye  kine  of  Bashan,  that  are  in  the  mountain  of 
Samaria,  which  oppress  the  poor,  which  crush 
the  needy,  which  say  unto  their  lords,  Bring,  and 
let  us  drink."  Isaiah  in  his  sternest  denunciation 
of  the  people  recognized  the  same  corrupting 


204  THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS 

influence,  and  in  satire  more  biting,  and  irony 
more  bitter,  denounced  the  sin  of  the  women. 
John  Ruskin  attempted  to  teach  his  age  the  same 
lesson.  He  declared,  and  it  has  often  been 
smiled  at  as  a  superlative  statement  impossible 
of  belief,  that  in  the  day  when  a  sanctified  and 
pure  womanhood  demands  that  war  shall  cease, 
war  must  cease.  It  is  a  superlative  statement, 
but  careful  consideration  will  make  contradiction 
of  it  very  difficult. 

Thus  when  the  prophet  began  to  deal  with  the 
sin  of  the  privileged  people,  he  recognized  the 
awful  as  well  as  the  sublime  influence  of  woman- 
hood. In  his  view  the  sin  of  the  privileged 
people  had  its  most  fearful  manifestation  in  its 
degraded  womanhood. 

He  then  showed  that  these  people  had  sinned 
in  that  they  had  violated  holy  associations.  In 
a  word  full  of  irony  he  said,  "  come  to  Bethel  to 
transgress."  Think  of  what  Bethel  stood  for,  to 
these  people,  and  so  understand  the  force  of  his 
message. 

He  further  showed  that  their  sin  had  been  that 
they  had  not  yielded  to  chastisement.  That  is 
the  value  of  the  phrase  running  through  one 
section  of  his  prophecy,  "  Yet  have  ye  not  re- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS  205 

turned  unto  Me."  In  spite  of  blasting,  and  mil- 
dew, and  all  the  other  methods  of  chastisement, 
they  had  persisted  in  their  sin.  His  final  word 
about  the  sin  of  the  people  was  that  of  a  denun- 
ciation of  their  false  confidence.  He  spoke  to 
two  parties  in  Israel.  First  to  the  people  who 
were  always  talking  about  "  the  day  of  the  Lord  " 
and  sighing  for  it.  These  he  told  that  they  did 
not  know  "  the  day  of  the  Lord,"  for  it  would  be 
to  them  a  day  of  vengeance,  of  punishment,  of 
judgment.  Secondly  to  the  people  who  never 
sighed  for  "  the  day  of  the  Lord,"  and  were  "  at 
ease  in  Zion,"  the  indifferent  people. 

All  this  is  the  most  graphic  setting  forth  of  the 
sins  of  a  privileged  people.  We  do  not  see  such 
sin  in  all  its  darkness  until  we  recognize  the 
greatness  of  the  privilege  of  the  sinning  people. 
They  were  the  family  God  had  known  as  He  had 
known  no  other.  God  had  done  nothing  among 
them  but  that  He  had  revealed  His  secret  to  the 
prophets.  They  had  received  immediate  revela- 
tion throughout  their  history,  yet  they  were  guilty 
of  the  sins  of  wanton  womanhood  ;  of  the  viola- 
tion of  holy  associations  ;  of  refusal  to  submit  to 
chastisement ;  of  professed  desire  for  a  day  of 
judgment  which  would  be  to  them  a  day  of 


206  THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS 

fire,  and  of  tempest,  and  storm  ;  and  of  indiffer- 
ence to  that  day. 

The  prophet  then  pronounced  the  judgment 
which  would  fall  upon  the  privileged  people  in 
five  visions,  of  the  locusts,  of  the  fire,  of  the  plumb- 
line,  of  the  basket  of  summer  fruit ;  and  then  all 
symbolism  failing,  of  the  active  Jehovah  coming 
by  the  way  of  the  altar  of  judgment  In  these 
visions  judgment  is  seen  determined  upon,  tem- 
porarily restrained,  and  finally  executed.  This 
message  of  the  activity  of  the  Divine  government 
must  have  caused  great  astonishment  to  the  men 
who  listened  to  it.  Jeroboam  was  on  the  throne 
of  Israel.  It  was  a  day  of  material  prosperity  in 
which  the  people  were  saying  in  effect,  See  how 
God  loves  us,  how  great  is  our  prosperity  I 
Suddenly  this  herdman  from  Tekoa  appeared, 
and  first  declared  that  of  them  Jehovah  had  said, 
"  You  only  have  I  known  of  all  the  families  of 
the  earth."  So  far,  in  all  probability,  they  lis- 
tened to  him  with  preeminent  satisfaction.  They 
were  the  privileged  people.  God  had  done  every- 
thing for  them. 

The  moment  of  astonishment  came  when  the 
prophet  continued,  "  Therefore  I  will  visit  upon 
you  all  your  iniquities."  Because  their  light  had 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS  20; 

been  clear,  their  judgment  was  to  be  profound. 
The  measure  of  their  privilege  was  the  measure 
of  their  responsibility.  According  to  their  fail- 
ure to  respond  to  responsibility  in  the  days 
of  privilege,  must  be  the  depth  of  the  ruin 
and  degradation  which  would  inevitably  befall 
them. 

Finally,  as  permanent  value  we  find  the  promise 
of  the  Divine  government.  It  is  specially  to  be 
noted  that  the  phrase  "  in  that  day,"  connects  the 
closing  promise  of  restoration  with  all  that  has 
preceded  it  The  day  referred  to  is  the  day  of 
judgment,  the  day  of  denunciation.  "  In  that 
day  will  I  raise  up  the  tabernacle  of  David  that 
is  fallen,  and  close  up  the  breaches  thereof ;  and 
I  will  raise  up  his  ruins,  and  I  will  build  it  as  in 
the  days  of  old."  That  is  the  promise  of  govern- 
ment. We  have  seen  the  philosophy  of  it.  We 
have  seen  the  illustration  of  it  in  practice.  In 
the  last  paragraph  we  find  the  promise  of  its  per- 
sistence. Through  all  the  processes  we  have 
gleams  of  the  ultimate  restoration,  and  at  last  it 
is  definitely  promised. 

First  preliminary  restoration  is  promised,  "  I 
will  raise  up  the  tabernacle  of  David  that  is  fallen, 
and  close  up  the  breaches  thereof ;  and  I  wilJ 


208  THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS 

raise  up  his  ruins,  and  I  will  build  it  as  in  the 
days  of  old."  Then  progressive  restoration  is 
promised,  "I  will  bring  again  the  captivity  of 
My  people  Israel,  and  they  shall  build  the  waste 
cities."  Finally  permanent  restoration  is  prom- 
ised, "  I  will  plant  them,  .  .  .  and  they 
shall  no  more  be  plucked  up." 

In  this  prophecy  of  Amos,  then,  we  see  the 
governing  of  God.  We  discover  His  standard 
of  government,  His  principle  of  government,  His 
patience  in  government.  The  practice  is  illus- 
trated in  the  case  of  the  people  who  had  more 
light  than  any  other  nation,  and  gleaming 
through  all  the  processes  is  the  light  of  the  ulti- 
mate victory. 

The  living  message  of  this  book  is  pre- 
eminently applicable  to  national  life.  The  first 
note  is  that  Jehovah  still  holds  the  balances  of 
even  justice,  and  that  He  is  against  all  the  things 
which  He  was  against  in  the  days  of  Amos.  We 
speak  of  the  changes  of  the  centuries.  God 
never  changes.  We  say  that  the  old  order 
changeth.  The  Divine  order  never  changes. 
The  Divine  methods  change,  the  Divine  dispen- 
sations change,  but  the  underlying  principles  of 
the  attitude  of  God  towards  man  never  change. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS  209 

Cruelty  is  as  hateful  to  God  on  the  Congo  as  it 
was  in  Syria. 

This  book  teaches  secondly  that  the  people 
chosen  to  be  the  despository  of  truth  have  the 
greatest  responsibility.  When  we  make  our 
boast  in  the  Divine  calling  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
peoples,  let  us  also  howl  for  our  sins,  and  cry 
aloud  and  spare  not  against  our  corrupting  of 
the  covenant. 

The  sins  with  which  the  prophet  charged  Israel 
were  those  of  injustice,  avarice,  oppression,  im- 
morality, profanity,  blasphemy,  and  sacrilege ; 
seven  deadly  sins.  If  Israel  was  guilty  of  them, 
so  are  we.  Moreover,  we  are  in  danger  of  doing 
exactly  what  Israel  did  in  the  reign  of  Jeroboam. 
We  speak  of  the  prosperity  which  God  has 
given  us.  We  point  to  the  greatness  of  our 
empire  as  evidence  of  the  Divine  approval,  and 
all  the  while  God  is  judging  us  for  our  sins. 
Only  as  we  turn  from  them  in  profound  repent- 
ance can  we  live.  God  has  not  changed.  There 
can  be  no  escape  from  doom  but  by  the  way  of 
penitence.  We  are  not  yet  independent  of  God, 
our  inventions,  our  policies,  our  armaments  not- 
withstanding. 

Yet  let  the  hearts  of  the  loyal  be  encouraged. 


210  THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS 

Not  for  utter  destruction  does  He  destroy  a 
nation,  but  for  restoration  and  fulfillment  of 
promise. 

If  we  have  made  application  of  the  message  of 
Amos  to  national  life,  and  particularly  to  our 
own  nation,  there  is  a  yet  closer,  more  searching 
application.  There  is  a  holy  nation.  The 
Church  of  Christ  is  in  very  deed  an  elect  race. 
She  is  assuredly  a  royal  priesthood.  Most  cer- 
tainly she  is  a  people  for  God's  own  possession. 
But  she  is  also  a  holy  nation.  In  the  economy 
of  God  the  Church  is  the  Christian  nation,  and 
there  is  none  other.  In  the  light  of  that  fact  the 
Church  needs  carefully  to  ponder  the  solemnity 
of  the  message  of  Amos. 

The  measure  of  light  is  the  measure  of  respon- 
sibility. The  measure  in  which  that  respon- 
sibility is  not  fulfilled,  is  the  measure  of  the  un- 
utterable degradation  which  must  come  as  God 
visits  in  judgment.  The  holy  nation,  above  all, 
must  give  no  countenance  to  the  sins  which  are 
hateful  to  Jehovah.  Oppression,  avarice,  blas- 
phemy, impurity,  must  not  be  named  among  the 
saints,  because  the  light  in  which  the  holy  nation 
lives  is  the  most  perfect  light  of  all.  Let  her 
above  all  others  rejoice  in  the  assurance  of  that 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  AMOS  211 

final  victory  of  which  she  is  most  perfectly  as- 
sured, having  had  through  her  Lord  "  the  word 
of  prophecy  made  more  sure."  Therefore  in  the 
measure  in  which  any  of  the  sins  denounced 
have  power  in  the  lives  of  the  saints  let  their 
repentance  be  profound,  and  their  return  to  Him 
Whose  will  is  good,  and  perfect,  and  acceptable, 
be  complete. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  OBADIAH 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUE 


B 

THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


The  Unveiling  of  Animalism 
The  Revelation  of  Edom  which  is  Esau. 

I.  The  Essential  Evil.    Pride 

i.  Godlessness. 

a.  No  spiritual  Conception. 

b.  Simple  Animalism. 

ii.  Defiance.     "  Who  shall  bring  me  down  ?  " 

a.  Self-Deitication.     "  Mount  high  as  Eagle." 

b.  Self-Protection.     "  Nest  among  Stars." 

II.  The  Supreme  Manifestation.    Violence 

L  Opposition  to  all  Jacob  represented. 

a.  Faith. 

b.  A  spiritual  Ideal, 
ii.  Manifestation. 

a.  Passive. 

1.  Day  of  Disaster.  Look. 

2.  Day  of  Destruction.     Rejoice. 

3.  Day  of  Distress.  Speak  proudly. 

b.  Active. 

I.  Day  of  Calamity. 


I.  Inclusive.     "The  King* 
dom    shall    be  Jeho- 
vah's " 
i.  It  is  His. 

ii.  It  is  being  made  His. 
iii.  It  shall  be  His. 


II.  The  Application 
i.  The     Restoration     and 

Perfection  of  Jacob, 
ii.  The     Reprobation    and 

Destruction  of  Esau. 


2.  Day  of  Distress. 


Enter  Gate. 
Look  on  Affliction. 
Lay  hands   on  Sub- 
stance. 

Cut  off  Escape. 
Deliver  up. 


III.  The  Inevitable  Issue.     Retribution 

i.  By  Act  of  the  denied  Jehovah, 
ii.  By  Cooperation  of  Events. 

iii.  liy    poetic    Justice.      "  As    thou   hast  done,   it 
shall  be." 


III.  The  Profane  can  be  made 
Sacred 


IV.  The  Last  Word. 
hovah's  " 


"  The  Kingdom   shall  be  Je- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  OBADIAH 

THIS  prophecy  occupies  only  one  page 
in  our  Bible,  and  is  characterized  by  the 
absence  of  many  things  with  which  we 
are  familiar  in  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures. 
Indeed,  the  first  impression  made  upon  the  mind 
by  the  reading  of  this  very  brief  prophecy  is  that 
it  has  very  little  in  the  nature  of  a  message  to 
this  age.  We  may  lay  it  down,  however,  as  a 
principle  always  to  be  observed  and  acted  upon, 
that  those  passages  or  books  of  Scripture  which 
seem  to  have  least  in  them  need  the  most  care- 
ful attention,  and  invariably  yield  the  most  re- 
markable results.  Isidore,  in  his  allegories  of 
the  Sacred  Scriptures,  said  of  this  book  : 
"  Among  all  the  prophets,  he  is  the  briefest  in 
number  of  words  ;  in  the  grace  of  mysteries  he  is 
their  equal."  That  is  most  certainly  true.  The 
book  contains  one  set  message.  The  identity  of 
the  prophet  and  the  historic  setting  are  matters 
of  minor  importance.  The  message  is  quite  in- 
dependent of  either. 

213 


214        THE  MESSAGE  OF  OBADIAH 

The  peculiar  value  of  this  one  brief  page  is 
that  the  antagonism  between  Jacob  and  Esau  is 
brought  into  clearer  view  than  in  any  other  of 
the  prophetic  writings.  Edom  was  descended 
from  Esau,  and  Israel  from  Jacob.  The  antago- 
nism between  them  is  patent  throughout  the 
Bible.  In  the  book  of  Genesis  occurs  a  simple 
and  yet  most  suggestive  declaration:  "The 
children  struggled  together  within  her."  From 
that  hint  of  the  consciousness  of  Rebekah,  the 
story  of  the  antagonism  continues.  It  finds  its 
fullest  expression  in  the  declaration,  "  I  loved 
Jacob;  but  Esau  I  hated."  In  regard  to  that 
statement  we  must  remember  that  God's  love  of 
Jacob  and  His  hatred  of  Esau  were  not  the  causes 
from  which  their  characters  resulted,  but  the  in- 
evitable results  of  what  they  were  in  character. 
When  we  come  to  the  New  Testament  these  two 
antagonistic  principles  are  still  seen,  and  they  are 
at  last  remarkably  focussed  in  two  persons. 

The  ultimate  issue  of  all  Jacob  represented — I 
am  not  now  referring  to  his  meanness,  his  failure, 
to  that  which  gave  God  so  much  trouble  with 
him ;  but  to  the  underlying  principle  and  aspira- 
tion and  spiritual  conception  for  which  he  stood 
— is  manifested  in  a  person,  and  that  Person  is 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  OBADIAH        215 

Jesus  of  Nazareth.  He  is  the  final  fruitage  after 
the  flesh  of  those  principles  embodied  in  Abra- 
ham, expressed  through  Isaac  and  Jacob,  and 
preserved  in  the  nation. 

The  ultimate  issue  of  all  that  Esau  represented 
is  also  focussed  in  a  person.  The  king  of  the 
Jews  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  Jesus  was  an 
Edomite.  Herod  was  of  the  race  of  Esau.  To 
him  Jesus  never  spoke.  He  once  sent  him  a 
message  thus :  "  Go  and  say  to  that  fox,  Behold, 
I  cast  out  devils  and  perform  cures  to-day  and 
to-morrow,  and  the  third  day  I  am  perfected,"  a 
most  remarkable  revelation  of  the  antagonism 
between  the  two  ideals.  The  words  sound  harsh 
and  strange  from  the  lips  of  Jesus,  but  they  afford 
a  startling  revelation  of  the  whole  truth  concern- 
ing Esau.  The  background  of  the  picture  pre- 
sented to  us  by  Obadiah  is  Jacob ;  the  fore- 
ground is  Esau.  Jacob  and  those  descended  from 
him  are  seen  passing  through  suffering,  which  is 
of  the  nature  of  chastisement,  to  ultimate  restora- 
tion. Esau  is  seen  proud,  rebellious,  defiant, 
moving  towards  ultimate  destruction.  The  per- 
manent value  of  this  book  is  that  of  its  interpre- 
tation of  Esau.  It  brings  out,  in  one  single  page 
of  the  Divine  library,  into  clear  relief  and  vivid 


216        THE  MESSAGE  OF  OBADIAH 

outline  the  meaning  of  that  word  already  quoted, 
"  Jacob  I  loved ;  Esau  I  hated."  To  quote  again 
from  one  of  the  fathers  of  the  Church,  this  book 
historically  tells  the  story  of  the  destruction  of 
Edom,  and  allegorically  sets  forth  the  destruction 
of  the  flesh. 

Edom  is  Esau  enlarged  into  national  life.  In 
the  book  of  Obadiah  we  discover  the  essential  evil 
in  Esau,  the  supreme  manifestation  of  that  evil, 
and  the  inevitable  issue  thereof.  Finally  we  find 
that  the  stern>  hard  word  of  prophecy  ends  with 
a  gleam  of  hope  even  for  "the  mount  of 
Esau." 

Let  us  summarize  these  matters  before  consid- 
ering them  in  detail.  The  essential  evil  of  Esau 
was  pride.  The  supreme  manifestation  of  that 
evil  was  violence,  wrong  done  to  others.  The 
inevitable  issue  thereof  was  retribution.  The  last 
word  in  the  book  is  the  sum  total  of  all  prophetic 
utterance :  "  Saviours  shall  come  up  on  mount 
Zion  to  judge  the  mount  of  Esau  ;  and  the  king- 
dom shall  be  Jehovah's." 

The  essential  evil  is  graphically  set  forth  in 
the  words:  "The  pride  of  thine  heart  hath  de- 
ceived thee,  O  thou  that  dwellest  in  the  clefts  of 
the  rock,  whose  habitation  is  high  ;  that  saith  in 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  OBADIAH        217 

his  heart,  Who  shall  bring  me  down  to  the 
ground?"  "The  pride  of  thine  heart  hath  de- 
ceived thee"  is  the  revealing  word.  The  result 
of  that  pride  of  heart  was  expressed  in  Edom's 
defiance :  "  O  thou  that  dwellest  in  the  clefts  of 
the  rock,  whose  habitation  is  high ;  that  saith  in 
his  heart,  Who  shall  bring  me  down  to  the 
ground?"  We  at  once  recognize  that  this  is  an 
actual  geographical  description  of  the  place  of 
the  Edomite  nation,  those  rocky  fastnesses  in 
which  they  lived,  and  in  the  seclusion  and 
strength  of  which  they  seemed  able  to  defy  all 
invasion,  and  did  indeed  for  long  years  success- 
fully defy  all  attempts  to  dislodge  them.  They 
dwelt  literally  in  the  clefts  of  the  rock  in  a  district 
which  gained  the  name  of  Petra  because  of  its 
rocky  nature.  Hemmed  in  by  rocks,  they  occu- 
pied a  tract  of  land  which  was  considered  im- 
pregnable. 

The  difficulty  of  dealing  with  the  declaration, 
"  The  pride  of  thine  heart  hath  deceived  thee,"  is 
due  to  the  fact  that  we  have  lost  our  sense  of 
proportion  when  we  deal  with  sin.  There  has 
been  so  much  dealing  with  specific  sins  that  we 
have  ceased  to  tremble  when  essential  sin  is  de- 
scribed. If  we  speak  of  drunkenness,  of  lust,  of 


218        THE  MESSAGE  OF  OBADIAH 

theft,  of  lying,  men  pause  for  a  moment  awed  by 
the  consciousness  of  the  sinfulness  of  such  things. 
Yet,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  these  are  none  other  than 
the  necessary,  natural  outcome  of  something  far 
more  deadly.  In  this  sentence  the  sin  of  sins  is 
named,  "  The  pride  of  thine  heart  hath  deceived 
thee."  Pride  of  heart  is  that  attitude  of  life  which 
declares  its  ability  to  do  without  God.  I  am  not 
prepared  to  say  the  Edomites  had  no  gods,  for  I 
think  there  are  evidences  that  they  had  ;  but  the 
nation  springing  from  Esau  imagined  that  it  was 
independent  of  God. 

The  New  Testament  flashes  its  light  upon  the 
whole  history  of  Esau  and  the  Edomites  in  a 
graphic  and  appalling  description  of  Esau,  "  that 
profane  person,  Esau."  Superficial  thinking  as- 
sociates the  word  with  indecorous  and  lewd 
speech.  It  has  a  profounder  significance.  A 
profane  person  is  a  person  against  the  temple. 
A  profane  person  is  one  who  has  no  spiritual 
conception,  who  sets  no  value  on  a  birthright, 
and  will  sell  it  for  red  pottage.  A  profane  per- 
son has  no  consciousness  of  the  eternal,  no  com- 
merce with  the  spiritual,  is  proud  of  animal  ability, 
and  acts  as  though  independent  of  God.  Profan- 
ity never  prays,  never  worships,  never  speaks  of 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  OBADIAH        219 

spiritual  intercourse,  has  no  traffic  with  the  eterni- 
ties, no  commerce  with  heaven. 

Then  notice  the  words,  "  Though  thou  mount 
on  high  as  the  eagle,  and  though  thy  nest  be  set 
among  the  stars."  That  is  God's  description  of 
Edom.  The  eagle  in  Eastern  symbolism  is 
always  a  type  of  Deity.  It  is  as  though  the 
prophet's  message  to  Edom  was,  Thou  having  de- 
throned God,  hast  deified  thyself,  and  made  thy- 
self to  be  thine  own  and  only  god.  The  setting 
of  the  nest  among  the  stars  high  up  in  the  rocky 
fastnesses  is  a  figure  of  self-protection.  Thus, 
the  description  is  graphic  portraiture. 

If  that  be  the  essential  evil,  notice  carefully 
what  is  the  supreme  manifestation  thereof.  It  is 
that  of  violence ;  that  of  wrong  done  to  others, 
and  of  rejoicing  in  the  presence  of  their  suffer- 
ing. "  For  the  violence  done  to  thy  brother  Jacob 
.  .  .  in  the  day  that  thou  stoodest  on  the  other 
side,  in  the  day  that  strangers  carried  away  his 
substance,  and  foreigners  entered  into  his  gates, 
and  cast  lots  upon  Jerusalem,  even  thou  wast  as 
one  of  them."  The  Edomites  had  looked  upon 
the  suffering  of  the  people  of  God,  and  had  been 
complacent  in  the  presence  of  it ;  more,  had  re- 
joiced over  it ;  and  yet  more,  had  taken  a  defi- 


220        THE  MESSAGE  OF  OBADIAH 

nite  part  in  it.  This  was  the  supreme  manifesta- 
tion of  the  evil,  and  it  was  caused  by  the  fact 
that  there  was  in  the  heart  of  Esau  opposition  to 
all  that  Jacob  represented.  Jacob  represented 
faith  in  God.  He  stood  for  a  spiritual  ideal. 
Perhaps  I  should  more  accurately  express  the 
fact  if  I  said  that  Jacob  stumbled  after  a  spiritual 
ideal.  The  supreme  matter  is  that  he  saw  it. 
In  the  deepest  of  his  nature  he  desired  it.  He 
set  his  face  towards  it  notwithstanding  all  his 
failure.  There  was  in  Jacob  a  principle  upon 
which  God  could  work  for  the  accomplishment 
of  His  purpose.  In  spite  of  all  his  blundering 
he  believed  in  God,  he  believed  in  the  spir- 
itual. 

That  ideal  Esau  hated.  When  the  day  of 
Jacob's  calamity  came,  when  Jacob  was  being 
scourged,  chastised,  Edom  was  glad ;  and 
crossed  over  and  entered  into  the  gate,  and 
joined  in  unholy  opposition,  and  snatched  the 
substance  from  his  brother. 

The  inevitable  issue  of  such  hatred  is  retribu- 
tion. Use  any  other  word  which  seems  more 
accurately  to  fit  the  case — punishment,  judg- 
ment, if  you  so  will — only  remember  that  judg- 
ment has  many  meanings  and  many  applications, 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  OBADIAH        221 

and  that  judgment  as  definite  punishment  even 
to  destruction,  is  the  thought  here.  Edom  said, 
"  Who  shall  bring  me  down  to  the  ground  ? " 
and  Jehovah  replied,  "  Though  thou  mount  on 
high  as  the  eagle,  and  though  thy  nest  be  among 
the  stars,  I  will  bring  thee  down.  .  .  .  Shall 
I  not  in  that  day  .  .  .  destroy  the  wise  men 
out  of  Edom,  and  understanding  out  of  the 
mount  of  Esau  ?  And  thy  mighty  men,  O  Te- 
man,  shall  be  dismayed."  The  God  without 
Whom  Edom  declares  it  is  able  to  live  success- 
fully, is  the  God  Who  visits  Edom  with  destruc- 
tion. Though  Edom  climb  as  high  as  the  stars 
and  build  its  nests,  and  mount  as  the  eagle  in 
self-deification  ;  the  God  above  and  around,  from 
Whom  he  cannot  escape,  will  bring  him  down, 
and  prove  to  him  the  unutterable  folly  of  his  an- 
imalism, and  the  heinousness  of  his  pride. 

God  will  do  this  by  overruling  the  policies 
and  arrangements  Edom  can  make:  "The  men 
of  thy  confederacy  have  brought  thee  on  thy 
way,  even  to  the  border :  the  men  that  were  at 
peace  with  thee  have  deceived  thee,  and  pre- 
vailed against  thee  ;  they  that  eat  thy  bread  lay 
a  snare  under  thee."  By  the  cooperation  of  the 
very  forces  in  which  Edom  takes  pride,  God  is 


222        THE  MESSAGE  OF  OBADIAH 

working  for  Edom's  destruction.  Edom  de- 
clares :  I  can  do  without  God.  I  will  be  confed- 
erate with  other  men,  will  enter  into  political  ar- 
rangements with  them,  and  international  treaties 
shall  exist  between  us,  and  thus  I  shall  be  safe. 
God  replies :  I  will  bring  thee  to  the  dust,  and  I 
will  do  it  through  the  men  in  whom  you  are  put- 
ting your  trust.  The  very  forces  on  which  you 
depend  are  working  together  with  Me,  not  for 
your  making,  but  for  your  destruction. 

The  judgment  of  God  upon  Edom  is  poetic 
justice :  "  As  thou  hast  done,  it  shall  be  done  unto 
thee."  The  New  Testament  states  it  thus :  "  Be 
not  deceived  ;  God  is  not  mocked :  for  whatso- 
ever a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap.  For 
he  that  soweth  unto  his  own  flesh  shall  of  the 
flesh  reap  corruption."  That  is  the  story  of 
Esau,  sowing  to  the  flesh,  answering  the  passions 
of  the  flesh,  doing  this  in  opposition  to  Jacob, 
and  rejoicing  over  Jacob's  trouble.  In  the  end 
the  flesh  itself  becomes  the  weapon  of  Edom's 
destruction.  "  As  thou  hast  done,  it  shall  be 
done  unto  thee." 

We  now  come  to  the  last  word  of  this  proph- 
ecy, "  The  captivity  of  this  host  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  which  are  among  the  Canaanites,  shaU 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  OBADIAH        223 

possess  even  unto  Zarephath  ;  and  the  captivity 
of  Jerusalem,  which  is  in  Sepharad,  shall  possess 
the  cities  of  the  South.  And  saviours  shall  come 
up  on  mount  Zion  to  judge  the  mount  of  Esau  ; 
and  the  kingdom  shall  be  Jehovah's."  The  last 
word  is  the  final  one  of  all  prophecy,  "  The  king- 
dom shall  be  Jehovah's."  The  preliminary 
movement  is  that  of  the  deliverance  of  the 
despised  Jacob.  He  is  led  through  all  the  suffer- 
ing towards  the  realization  of  the  Divine  pur- 
pose, and  as  a  result  saviours  appear  on  mount 
Zion  to  judge  the  mount  of  Esau.  I  have  al- 
ready said  we  must  be  careful  to  remember  that 
judgment  has  many  meanings  and  various  ap- 
plications. Judgment  may  mean  administration 
towards  righteousness.  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say 
that  in  this  last  word  the  truth  is  expressed  that, 
by  the  way  of  Jacob's  redemption,  restoration, 
and  realization  of  the  Divine  purpose,  there  is 
hope  for  Esau. 

The  final  word  then  is  one  concerning  that 
day  in  which  all  conflict  will  end,  all  factions  pass 
out  of  sight,  and  all  racial  divisions  disappear, 
"  The  kingdom  shall  be  Jehovah's."  The  Seer 
of  Patmos  saw  the  ultimate,  and  described  it  in 
the  words,  "  Fallen,  fallen  is  Babylon  the  great 


224        THE  MESSAGE  OF  OBADIAH 

.  .  .  The  kingdom  of  the  world  is  become  the 
kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  of  His  Christ." 

Inclusively  the  living  message  is  to  be  found  in 
this  last  sentence,  "  The  kingdom  shall  be  Je- 
hovah's." The  conflict  between  animalism  and 
spirituality  still  continues,  but "  the  kingdom  shall 
be  Jehovah's."  In  spite  of  all  difficulty,  persecu- 
tion, and  opposition,  Jacob  will  become  Israel,  and 
Esau  will  have  judgment  by  the  way  of  saviours. 
Restoration  and  perfection  for  Jacob ;  retribution 
and  destruction  for  Esau.  These  are  certain. 
Yet  the  profane  may  become  sacred,  for  saviours 
appear  upon  the  mount  of  Zion. 

The  living  message  of  this  book  is  to  individ- 
uals also,  for  all  its  principles  are  operating  in 
human  life.  What  sort  of  man  am  I?  Am  I 
profane  as  was  Esau,  or  am  I  like  Jacob  ?  I  do 
not  think  there  are  any  other  types.  Even  those 
of  us  who  believe  in  God,  who  in  the  deepest  of 
us  have  faith  and  real  desire  to  fulfill  the  purpose 
of  God,  are  Jacobs.  He  has  to  take  us  to  the 
Jabbok,  and  cripple  us  in  order  to  crown  us.  He 
has  to  be  patient  with  us ;  and  He  is  patient,  or 
we  had  been  lost.  The  God  Who  chastises  us 
and  leads  us  through  trouble  is  set  upon  doing 
^is  good  at  the  latter  end ;  and  all  the  discipline 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  OBADIAH        225 

and  trouble,  pain  and  punishment,  are  in  order 
that  at  last  we  may  realize  our  own  deepest  pur- 
pose, and  satisfy  His  heart. 

Are  we  profane,  doing  without  God  ?  We  may 
be  wonderfully  successful  materially ;  we  may 
mount  up  as  eagles ;  we  may  be  our  own  gods, 
acting  independently  of  heaven,  of  the  spiritual 
world,  and  building  our  nests  among  the  stars ; 
but  already  God  is  bringing  us  down.  Our  very 
confederacy  with  flesh  is  working  our  ruin. 

The  profane  man  can  be  made  sacred,  and  if 
we  will  but  recognize  that  "  the  kingdom  shall  be 
Jehovah's,"  and  will  but  kiss  His  sceptre  and  bow 
to  His  control,  and  bend  our  proud  necks  in 
worship,  and  our  knees  in  prayer,  yielding  our- 
selves to  His  revealed  Saviour  King,  then  He 
will  make  again  the  vessels,  and  we  also  may  be- 
come His  chosen.  If  not,  all  our  boasting  and 
all  our  building  cannot  secure  our  salvation. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 

THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


L  The  Revelation  of  Jehovah 

i.  Jehovah  and  Nineveh. 

a.  His  Attitude.     Pity.     iv.  n. 

b.  His  Activity. 

1.  The  Message  sent. 

Against  its  Wickedness. 

2.  The  Repentance  of  God. 

Produced  by  Nineveh's  Repentance, 
ii.  Jehovah  and  Jonah. 

a.  His  Need  of  a  Messenger. 

b.  His  Persistence  and  Patience. 

1.  For  Delivery  of  His  Message. 

2.  For  Fellowship  of  His  Messenger. 

II.  The  Revelation  of  the  Responsibility  of  Represen- 
tation 

L  The  positive  Statement. 

a.  To  Represent.     He  only  sends  those  to  repre- 

sent Him  who  know  Him. 
iv.  2. 

b.  Therefore  to  Obey. 

1.  His  Purpose  rather  than  their  Desire. 

2.  Satisfaction  in  that  Purpose. 
ii.  The  negative  Revelation. 

a.  The  underlying  Reason  of  Failure. 

Hatred  of  Nineveh. 

b.  The  resultant  Manifestation. 

Estrangement  from  God. 


Everything  of  value  in  this 
Book  is  embodied  and 
emphasized  in  Jesus,  and 
to  us. 

I.  Jehovah  and  the  Cities 

Jesus  and  Jerusalem. 

II.  Jehovah  and  His  People 

Jesus  needs  us. 
Jesus  sends  us. 

IK.  Our  Failure 

i.  Not  Ignorance  of  God. 
ii.  Hatred  of  our  Brother. 

a.  The  Foreigner. 

b.  The  Pariah. 

IV.  How  shall  we  overcome  ? 

i.  Not  by  forcing  Love  to 

them. 

ii.  But  by  Obedience  to 
God,  which  issues  in 
Love  to  Man. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH 

THE  book  of  Jonah  is  peculiar  among  the 
prophetic  writings  in  that  it  contains  no 
message  delivered  to  the  people  of  God 
by  the  prophet  whose  name  it  bears.     The  book 
is  a  story,  and  the  story  is  the  message.     It  was 
not  written   for   Nineveh.      It   was   written   for 
Israel,  using  that  word  in  its  narrower  applica- 
tion to  the  Northern  kingdom,  yet  recognizing 
that  the  moral  values  of  the  book  have  their  ap- 
plication to  the  whole  nation. 

In  order,  then,  to  discover  the  message  of  the 
book,  we  must  seek  for  the  outstanding  facts  in 
the  story.  In  doing  this  it  is  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance that  we  distinguish  between  the  in- 
cidental and  the  essential.  The  incidental  things 
are  the  ship,  the  storm,  the  whale,  the  gourd,  the 
wind,  and  Nineveh.  I  need  only  pause  here  long 
enough  to  say  that  the  incidental  things  are  not 
necessarily  things  existing  only  in  the  imagina- 
tion. These  things  are  incidental  because  they 

were  the  instruments  in  the  hand  of  the  master 

227 


228  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH 

Workman.  The  essential  matters  of  the  book 
are  the  transactions  between  Jehovah  and  Jonah. 
It  is  when  the  attention  is  fixed  upon  these,  and 
all  the  other  things  are  seen  as  incidental,  that 
we  begin  to  find  the  permanent  value  of  the  book, 
and  to  discover  its  living  message. 

Thus  to  concentrate  the  attention  upon  the 
essential  persons  is  to  find  that  the  book  is  su- 
premely the  one  of  missionary  teaching  in  the 
Old  Testament.  Whereas  a  missionary  purpose 
is  to  be  found  in  the  whole  history  of  the  Hebrew 
people,  this  one  brief  book  in  the  prophetic  sec- 
tion does  more  clearly  set  forth  that  missionary 
purpose,  both  as  to  its  source  and  its  method, 
than  any  other  book  in  the  whole  of  the  Old 
Testament  library.  It  reveals  the  attitudes  and 
activities  of  God  towards  the  nations,  and  towards 
His  own  for  the  sake  of  the  nations.  It  rebukes 
the  failure  of  those  who  should  represent  Him. 
It  recalls  to  worship  those  who  have  neglected 
that  responsibility  of  representation.  We  may 
hold  different  opinions  as  to  when  and  by  whom 
the  book  was  written,  but  we  cannot  read  it  in 
the  way  indicated  without  seeing  that  its  first 
intention  was  that  of  rebuking  the  exclusiveness 
of  the  chosen  people  of  God.  Whether  Jonah 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH  229 

wrote  it  himself  or  not,  it  purports  to  be  the  story 
of  events  in  his  life,  and  there  can  be  no  reason 
able  doubt  that  the  Jonah  referred  to  is  the  one 
named  in  the  book  of  Kings  as  exercising  his 
ministry  in  the  reign  of  Jeroboam  II.  If  we 
recall  the  prevailing  conditions  during  that 
period  we  find  two  things  of  the  most  strangely 
contradictory  character.  Israel  was  attempting 
to  form  alliances  with  the  nations  around  her, 
and  at  the  same  time  was  more  exclusive  relig- 
iously than  she  had  ever  been.  She  had  come 
to  hold  the  idea  that  the  religion  of  Jehovah  was 
hers  only,  that  God  had  made  her  His  peculiar 
people  and  cared  nothing  for  others,  and  that 
the  only  attitude  of  God  towards  the  people  out- 
side the  covenant  was  that  of  hostility.  The 
whole  of  the  Hebrew  contempt  for,  and  antago- 
nism to,  surrounding  nations  is  focussed  in  the 
picture  of  Jonah.  The  whole  of  the  Divine  at- 
titude towards  the  surrounding  nations,  the 
Divine  pity,  the  Divine  patience,  the  Divine 
power,  is  revealed  as  we  see  Jehovah  dealing 
with  Jonah.  Thus  there  are  two  permanent 
values.  First,  the  revelation  of  the  attitude  of 
Tehovah ;  and  secondly,  the  revelation  of  th* 
responsibilities  of  such  as  represent  Him, 


230          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH 

We  do  not  find  the  deepest  note  concerning 
Jehovah  until  we  arrive  at  the  end  of  the  book. 
The  story  begins  with  a  command  to  Jonah  to 
arise  and  go  to  Nineveh,  and  cry  against  it. 
When  we  follow  the  story  through,  and  come  to 
the  last  words,  we  touch  the  deepest  note : 
"  Thou  hast  had  pity  on  the  gourd,  for  the  which 
thou  hast  not  laboured,  neither  madest  it  grow ; 
which  came  up  in  a  night,  and  perished  in  a 
night :  and  should  not  I  have  pity  on  Nineveh, 
that  great  city  ;  wherein  are  more  than  sixscore 
thousand  persons  that  cannot  discern  between 
their  right  hand  and  their  left  hand ;  and  also 
much  cattle  ? " 

"  Should  not  I  have  pity  on  Nineveh  f  "  Here 
we  touch  the  fundamental  truth  of  the  whole 
book.  Everything  else  is  the  outcome  of  it. 
The  command  to  Jonah  to  go  to  Nineveh,  the 
patient  persistence  with  which  God  compelled 
him  to  obedience,  are  alike  the  outcome  of  what 
is  declared  in  that  brief  sentence.  The  relation 
of  this  book  of  Jonah  to  the  books  we  have 
already  considered  is  full  of  interest.  It  com- 
pletes a  remarkable  triptych  presenting  three 
pictures  of  Jehovah.  In  Amos  His  sovereignty 
over  the  nations  is  revealed.  In  Obadiah  He  is 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH  231 

revealed  as  the  God  of  judgment.  In  Jonah  the 
supreme  revelation  is  that  He  is  a  God  of  mercy, 
a  God  of  pity. 

The  word  pity  is  significant.  The  Hebrew 
word  literally  means  cover.  Should  not  I  cover 
Nineveh?  The  thought  perfectly  harmonizes 
with  the  revelation  of  God  suggested  in  the 
words  which  Jesus  uttered  over  Jerusalem :  "  How 
often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children 
together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens 
under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not"  The  idea 
is  that  of  covering  them,  and  so  shielding  them 
from  danger.  Should  not  I  cover  Nineveh, 
brood  over  it,  protect  it,  feel  its  sorrows  in  My 
own  heart,  shield  it  from  destroying  forces?  In 
that  word  we  have  His  attitude  towards  sinning 
cities.  That  is  the  source  of  missionary  en- 
deavour in  all  the  centuries,  "  Should  not  I  have 
pity?" 

Out  of  that  attitude  all  the  activities  of  Jehovah 
proceed.  I  think  if  I  took  up  this  book  of 
Jonah,  and  read  it  for  the  first  time,  I  should 
inevitably  misread  it,  because  I  should  put  into 
the  first  command  to  Jonah  an  emphasis  wholly 
of  anger  in  the  presence  of  the  wickedness  and 
abounding  iniquity  of  Nineveh  ;  but  I  cannot  so 


232  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH 

read  it  after  I  have  read,  "  Should  not  I  have  pity 
on  Nineveh  ?  "  Not  that  the  standard  of  holiness 
is  lowered,  not  that  Jonah  was  sent  to  it  with  any 
other  message  than  that  of  judgment  against  its 
sin ;  but  that  I  have  now  discovered  that  God's 
anger  with  sin  is  born  of  His  pity  for  the  sinner. 
When  Nineveh  repented,  God  repented,  and 
repented  because  He  cannot  change.  The  He- 
brew word  here  has  more  in  it  than  the  sug- 
gestion of  change  of  mind.  It  suggests  a  sob, 
a  sigh,  a  breathing  of  agony.  Yet  it  does  also 
suggest  change,  and  therefore  what  He  said  He 
would  do,  He  did  it  not.  In  the  moment  when 
Nineveh  turned  from  its  evil  to  Him,  He  straight- 
way changed  His  purpose  of  judgment.  Nine- 
veh fulfilled  its  responsibility  by  obedience  to 
Him  ;  and  His  attitude  was  changed  because  He 
cannot  deny  Himself,  He  cannot  be  untrue  to 
the  central  fact  of  His  nature.  Whenever  we 
read  that  God  repented,  and  we  study  the  con- 
text, we  shall  find  such  statement  either  followed 
or  preceded  by  a  declaration  of  the  cause,  and 
the  cause  is  always  man's  repentance.  So  that 
when  a  man  turns  from  or  repents  of  his  wicked- 
ness, God  turns  from  His  purpose  of  judgment, 
which  in  itself  was  love-inspired. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH  233 

In  further  examination  of  the  essential  things, 
we  notice  God's  need  of  a  messenger.  "  How 
shall  they  hear  without  a  preacher  ?  "  is  the  en- 
quiry of  the  New  Testament,  and  in  that  enquiry, 
as  in  this  story,  there  is  manifest  a  great  prin- 
ciple of  supreme  importance.  Out  of  that  grows 
the  explanation  of  His  persistent  patience  to 
secure  the  fellowship  of  His  messenger,  "  The 
word  of  the  Lord  came  to  Jonah  the  second 
time."  The  man  who  had  failed  at  first  had  a  sec- 
ond opportunity  of  fulfilling  the  purpose  of  God  in 
Nineveh  ;  and  beyond  that,  there  is  a  third  time, 
a  third  time  of  attempt  to  bring  this  man  into 
sympathy  with  the  purpose  of  God  in  mercy. 
The  methods  were  of  the  gourd  provided  and 
withered,  and  the  conversation  between  Jehovah 
and  His  messenger.  There  was  tender  satire  in 
the  question  of  God  as  the  margin  renders  it, 
"  Art  thou  greatly  angry  ?  "  Jonah  replied,  "  I 
do  well  to  be  angry  even  unto  death."  Again 
God  asked  the  same  question,  and  continued : 
"  Thou  hast  had  pity  on  the  gourd,  for  the  which 
thou  hast  not  laboured,  neither  madest  it  grow ; 
which  came  up  in  a  night,  and  perished  in  a 
night :  and  should  not  I  have  pity  on  Nineveh  ?  " 
Thus  God  appealed  to  Jonah,  persuading  him  to 


234          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH 

fellowship  in  love.  The  story  ends  with  the 
picture  of  this  man  still  in  rebellion,  still  angry. 
If  he  wrote  the  book,  then  I  claim  God  won  his 
victory  and  brought  him  into  sympathy  with 
Himself,  for  the  story  told  reveals  his  folly  and 
his  failure. 

What,  then,  is  the  revelation  of  this  book  as  to 
the  responsibility  of  those  who  represent  God  ? 
Forgive  me  if  I  first  state  it  in  the  most  obvious 
and  apparently  unnecessary  way.  The  responsi- 
bility of  those  who  represent  Jehovah  is  that  they 
represent  Him.  Now  what  was  the  trouble  with 
Jonah?  Why,  when  sent  to  Nineveh,  did  he 
find  a  ship  and  attempt  to  reach  Tarshish? 
Why,  when  commanded  by  Jehovah  to  deliver 
a  message,  did  he  attempt  to  escape  by  resign- 
ing his  position  as  a  prophet  ?  Why,  after  the 
remarkable  interposition  and  deliverance  which 
came  to  him,  and  after  he  had  delivered  his 
message,  did  he  sit  in  hot  anger  and  rebellion 
against  God  ?  I  think  the  answer  we  should  be 
inclined  to  give  at  first  is  that  he  did  not  know 
God.  That,  however,  is  not  true,  for  it  is  written 
that  when  Nineveh  was  spared,  "  It  displeased 
Jonah  exceedingly,  and  he  was  angry.  And  he 
prayed  unto  the  Lord,  and  said,  I  pray  Thee,  O 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH  235 

Lord,  was  not  this  my  saying,  when  I  was  yet  in 
my  country?  Therefore  I  hasted  to  flee  unto 
Tarshish :  for  I  knew  that  Thou  art  a  gracious 
God,  and  full  of  compassion,  slow  to  anger,  and 
plenteous  in  mercy,  and  repentest  Thee  of  the 
evil."  Therein  is  revealed  the  tragedy  of  this 
book.  The  flight  to  Tarshish  and  the  hot 
rebellion  were  expressions  of  something  much 
more  serious.  The  things  Jonah  knew  of  Je- 
hovah are  the  great  truths  contained  in  the  most 
wonderful  words  in  the  Old  Testament,  words  in 
which  God  had  unveiled  Himself  to  His  servant 
long  before,  "  a  God  full  of  compassion  and  gra- 
cious, slow  to  anger,  and  plenteous  in  mercy  and 
truth."  Jonah  knew  all  this,  and  that  is  why  he 
did  not  go.  Now  we  are  finding  the  reason  of 
his  anger.  It  was  not  caused  by  ignorance  of 
God,  but  by  hatred  of  Nineveh.  He  did  not 
want  Nineveh  to  be  spared.  On  the  human 
plane  I  understand  him  perfectly.  Nineveh  was 
guilty  of  cruelty  and  abominations  for  which 
one  hundred  years  later  another  prophet  uttered 
her  doom.  She  was  merciless  and  cruel,  and 
Jonah  was  in  rebellion  against  her  being  spared. 
God  only  sends  those  to  represent  Him  who 
know  Him.  The  responsibility,  therefore,  of 


236          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH 

those  who  are  called  to  represent  God,  is  that 
of  obedience.  His  purpose,  rather  than  their 
desire,  must  be  the  master  passion  of  their  heart. 
Their  predjudice  must  be  overruled  by  the  pur- 
poses of  God,  governed  by  them,  and  submitted 
to  them.  The  result  of  failure  in  this  is  estrange- 
ment between  the  messenger  and  God. 

What,  then,  is  the  living  message  of  this  book? 
We  have  had  this  word  of  prophecy  made  more 
sure  in  that  all  its  suggestiveness  has  been  em- 
bodied for  us  in  the  Person  and  the  mission  of 
One  Whom  we  call  Lord  and  Master.  Every- 
thing of  value  in  this  book  is  embodied  and  em- 
phasized in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Therefore  its 
teaching  comes  to  us  with  even  greater  force,  be- 
cause with  greater  light  than  that  with  which  it 
came  to  ancient  Israel.  That  final  word,  which 
reveals  the  fount  out  of  which  all  this  story 
springs,  the  word  which  announces  the  pity  of 
the  Divine  heart,  flames  for  us  in  new  light  in  the 
picture  of  Jesus  Christ  in  His  attitude  towards 
Jerusalem.  Do  not  let  us,  however,  make  that 
picture  of  Christ  weeping  over  Jerusalem  the 
picture  of  something  in  the  past ;  it  is  the  picture 
of  His  attitude  at  this  moment  towards  this  city, 
and  towards  all  the  cities  of  the  earth.  Think  of 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH  237 

all  the  cities,  the  habitations  of  cruelty,  places 
where  humanity  is  manifesting  its  most  awful 
corruption,  and  then  remember  that  God  pities 
them  all.  However  we  may  fail  towards  our 
own  or  other  cities  or  lands,  God  has  pity  on 
them.  Do  we  care  for  the  plant  that  comes  up 
and  perishes?  Then  God  says,  "Should  not  I 
have  pity  on  Nineveh?"  We  shall  never  be  mis- 
sionary enthusiasts  until  we  come  into  fellowship 
with  that  pity.  Once  we  do  so,  we  shall  find 
the  corrective  to  all  our  halting.  When  He  be- 
held the  city  He  wept  over  it.  That  is  a  revela- 
tion of  the  eternal  fact  in  the  nature  of  God. 

All  the  picture  of  Jehovah  in  His  dealing  with 
Jonah  is  fulfilled  for  us  also  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment revelation.  If  the  Lord  Christ  pities  men, 
in  order  to  send  His  messages  to  them,  He  needs 
us.  God  always  needs  a  man  to  stand  in  the 
gap.  The  Word  must  be  incarnate  before  it  be- 
comes powerful.  We  scatter  our  Bibles  far  over 
the  world,  and  thank  God  that  we  do  so,  but  the 
ordained  method  of  reaching  men  is  to  send  the 
Bible  with  a  man.  It  is  by  the  human  voice,  the 
actual  living  messenger,  that  the  Word  of  God  is 
made  powerful.  Christ  still  needs  messengers  to 
the  cities,  and  He  still  sends  us.  There  is  no 


238  THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH 

man,  woman,  or  little  child  who  really  belongs  to 
Christ,  who  does  not  share  the  responsibility : 
"  Arise,  go  to  Nineveh,  that  great  city,  and  cry 
against  it ;  for  their  wickedness  is  come  up 
before  Me."  That  command  comes  out  of  in- 
finite pity  and  infinite  love.  Why  cry  against 
Nineveh's  wickedness?  Because  it  is  damning 
Nineveh ;  because  God  would  save  Nineveh ; 
because  God's  act  of  destruction  is  forever  a 
strange  act.  The  act  that  comes  out  of  His 
heart  is  the  act  of  construction,  salvation,  and 
love.  Therefore  cry  against  the  wickedness  that 
blights  and  spoils. 

Before  we  criticize  Jonah  let  us  turn  the  light 
on  ourselves.  How  far  have  we  obeyed  ?  There 
are  facts  in  the  story  of  Jonah  which  show  that 
there  was  much  of  nobility  about  him,  even  in 
the  moment  of  disobedience.  When  he  went 
out  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  he  went  down 
to  Joppa  and  found  a  ship  waiting  (it  is  remark- 
able how  accommodating  circumstances  seem  to 
be  sometimes  when  we  are  trying  to  escape  re- 
sponsibility), then  he  paid  his  own  fare.  There 
is  a  fine  touch  of  honesty  about  that.  We  have 
not  always  been  so  honest.  Do  not  forget,  how- 
ever, that  if  we  are  really  commanded  by  God, 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH  239 

the  fortuitous  concurrence  of  circumstances, 
Joppa,  the  ship,  and  the  fine  independence  of 
paying  our  own  fare,  will  not  ensure  our  reach- 
ing- Tarshish.  The  hand  of  God  is  still  upon  us, 
and  we  thank  Him  that  it  is  so. 

The  secret  of  the  Church's  comparative  failure 
in  missionary  enterprise  is  not  that  we  do  not 
know  God  and  His  compassion.  We  do  know 
Him.  His  love  has  been  commended  to  us. 
We  have  felt  its  warmth,  its  fire.  We  know  its 
victories  in  our  own  lives.  Why,  then,  do  we 
halt  ?  For  exactly  the  same  reason  which  halted 
Jonah.  Because  we  hate  Nineveh.  The  Church 
does  not  want  to  see  the  world  saved,  does  not 
want  to  see  the  heathen  nations  brought  to  Christ. 
She  still  speaks  of  her  work  as  foreign  missionary 
work ;  still  describes  men  of  other  nationalities 
and  other  climates  and  other  colours  as  natives,  as 
foreigners;  still  adopts  the  attitude  of  supercili- 
ous indifference  to  them. 

If  that  statement  seems  too  severe,  come  nearer 
home.  Why  does  not  the  Church  reach  the  out- 
cast people  in  London  and  save  them  ?  Because 
the  Church  does  not  like  the  outcast  people,  does 
not  want  them  saved.  We  write  of  the  pariahs 
of  India  in  pity,  but  the  submerged  outside  our 


240          THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH 

own  doors  we  prefer  to  keep  outside.  In  how 
many  pews  in  the  average  church  would  the 
outcast  be  welcome  if  he  or  she  appeared  on  Sun- 
day next  ?  Do  we  really  want  them  ?  Are  we 
ready  to  cooperate  with  God? 

How  shall  we  overcome  this  difficulty  ?  Not 
by  trying  to  love  them.  Never  was  a  more 
absurd  thing  said  by  any  man  than  that  he 
would  try  to  love  some  one.  It  is  impossible. 
We  cannot  try  to  love  these  people.  What, 
then,  shall  we  do?  Fall  in  line  with  the  com- 
mand of  our  Lord  and  what  we  know  of  Him, 
and  do  what  He  bids.  Such  obedience  will 
create  love  even  for  those  whom  we  cannot 
compel  ourselves  to  love.  There  are  a  great 
many  people  in  this  city  of  whom  we  think  with 
revulsion.  We  do  not  want  to  get  near  them. 
We  are  not  really  anxious  they  should  be  saved. 
We  have  never  stretched  out  a  hand  to  help 
them.  Let  us  begin  to  do  it,  not  out  of  love  for 
them,  but  out  of  love  for  the  Lord.  As  surely  as 
we  do,  we  shall  find  beneath  the  rough  surface 
gems  with  lustre  as  wonderful  as  any  we  have 
discovered  in  any  walk  of  life.  We  shall  find 
that  they  also  are  lovable. 

The  whole  lesson  of  the  book  of  Jonah  is  that 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  JONAH  241 

of  the  sin  of  exclusivism,  the  sin  of  imagining 
that  if  we  have  received  light,  it  is  for  ourselves 
alone.  Let  us  away  to  Nineveh  because  God 
commands  it,  whether  the  going  falls  in  with  our 
prejudices  or  not ;  and  as  we  go  we  shall  come 
into  new  fellowship  with  Him,  and  find  a  new 
comradeship  with  humanity,  and  withal  hasten 
the  coming  of  the  day  of  His  perfect  victory. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  The  Unmasking  of  false  Authority,    iii.  u. 
i.  Civil  Rulers.     Judge  for  Reward,     iii.  2. 

a.  Character.     Hate  good,  love  evil. 

b.  Conduct.     Spoliation  of  the  People. 
ii.  Spiritual  Rulers.     Teach  for  Hire. 

a.  Their  Claim.     They  lean  upon  the  Lord. 

b.  Their  Corruption.     The  corrupted  Motive. 

iii.  Moral  Rulers.     Divine  for  Money,     iii.  5. 

a.  Their  Influence.     They  make  my  People  err. 

b.  Their  Methods. 

1.  Fed.     Thy  cry  peace. 

2.  Unfed.     They  make  war. 

II.  The  Unveiling  of  true  Authority 
i.  The  Coming  One. 

a.  From  human  Obscurity. 

b.  From  Everlasting, 
ii.  His  Administration. 

a.  He  shall  stand. 

b.  He  shall  feed, 
iii.  The  Issue. 

a.  Positive.     This  Man  shall  be  Peace. 

b.  Negative.     Destruction  of  all  false  Methods. 

v.  10-14. 


The  Test  of  all  Authority 
is  in  its  Motive 

Civil,  spiritual  or  moral 
Selfishness  is  evil. 


II.  The     Strength    of    Au- 
thority 

i.  The  Strength  of  Jehovah. 
ii.  The  Majesty  of  the  Name 
of  Jehovah. 

III.  The  Hope 

i.  The   One   came   to   lay 

Foundations. 

ii.  He  will  come  to  complete 
the  Work. 

IV.  The  Duty 

i.  To  Obey, 
ii.  To  Enforce, 
iii.  To  Wait. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH 

tHE  position  this  book  occupies  in  the 
Divine  library  maintains  an  interest- 
ing sequence.  I  do  not  suggest  that 
the  placing  of  these  books  is  inspired.  In  the 
Septuagint  the  arrangement  is  entirely  different. 
I  do,  however,  say  quite  seriously  that  I  am  a 
Churchman,  believing  in  the  Catholic  Church, 
and  believing  in  the  Catholic  Church  as  an  in- 
strument of  God.  As  I  study  my  Bible  I  am 
more  and  more  convinced  that  there  is  a  reason 
for  the  order  in  which  the  books  are  placed. 
We  have  seen  in  our  last  two  or  three  lectures 
that  there  has  been  an  evident  sequence  of 
thought  Let  us  call  to  mind  the  three  im- 
mediately preceding  this  one.  In  Amos  the 
burden  was  that  of  the  Divine  government  of 
nations,  and  of  national  accountability.  In 
Obadiah  it  was  that  of  Divine  government  pro- 
ceeding to  judgment  against  sin.  In  Jonah  it 
was  that  of  the  Divine  government  proceeding 

in  mercy  in  answer  to  repentance. 

243 


244          THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH 

In  Micah  we  have  a  picture  of  the  administra- 
tion of  that  government  in  the  affairs  of  men. 
The  nations  are  addressed.  There  is,  of  course, 
a  sense  in  which  this  prophecy  was  not  to  the 
nations  outside ;  but  they  are  in  view  ;  and  as  we 
read,  we  find  that  the  prophet's  method  was  that 
of  calling  upon  the  nations  to  observe  God's 
method  with  His  own  people.  He  recognized 
that  the  chosen  people  were  created  in  order  that 
through  them  the  fact  of  the  sovereignty  of  God 
might  be  made  manifest  to  the  nations.  There- 
fore he  called  upon  those  nations  to  observe  the 
judgment  of  the  chosen  people. 

When  God  has  chosen  a  nation  or  called  a 
man,  the  truth  of  His  government  is  made  real 
through  the  nation  or  through  the  man,  either  by 
failure  or  by  success.  If  the  nation  be  obedient, 
there  follows  the  revelation  to  other  nations  of 
the  grace  and  tenderness  of  the  Divine  govern- 
ment in  the  realization  of  life  at  its  highest  and 
best ;  such  realization  resulting  from  such  obedi- 
ence. Had  Israel  fulfilled  the  purpose  of  God  in 
the  midst  of  the  nations  they  would  have  seen  in 
her  prosperity,  in  her  blessing,  how  good  and 
gracious  a  thing  the  government  of  God  is. 
Israel  failed  to  bear  that  testimony  to  the  nations. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH  24$ 

Then  is  there  no  message  for  them  through  her 
history  ?  Micah  shows  that  in  the  judgment  o! 
God  upon  the  failing  people  a  truth  of  vast 
importance  is  proclaimed  to  the  surrounding 
nations.  Therefore  he  makes  his  appeal  to 
them,  summons  them  to  see  the  judgment  of 
God  upon  the  people  who  failed,  in  order  that 
they  may  learn  something  of  the  meaning  of 
His  government. 

The  fundamental  conception  of  this  book  in 
common  with  all  the  prophetic  writings  is  that 
of  the  sovereignty  of  Jehovah.  Micah  was 
familiar  with  the  condition  of  the  people  result- 
ing from  the  misrule  of  Ahaz.  He  was  first,  and 
last,  and  always,  conscious  of,  and  confident  in, 
the  throne  and  the  government  of  God.  He  wa? 
undoubtedly  during  a  large  part  of  his  prophetic 
ministry  contemporary  with  Isaiah,  and  their 
conceptions  are  strikingly  similar.  There  is, 
however,  a  distinct  difference  between  them,  and 
in  the  difference  we  discover  the  peculiar  value 
of  this  book.  Isaiah  saw  the  uplifted  throne  of 
Jehovah ;  and  all  through  his  wonderful  min- 
istry, whether  in  the  prophecies  of  judgment 
proceeding  to  peace,  or  in  those  of  peace 
proceeding  to  judgment,  he  dealt  with  men  and 


246  THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH 

affairs  as  having  immediate  relation  to  that 
throne. 

Micah  recognizes  the  place  of  delegated  au- 
thority in  the  economy  of  God,  and  he  spoke  to 
princes,  priests,  and  prophets  as  to  the  represent- 
atives of  the  Divine  authority.  "  The  powers 
that  be  are  ordained  of  God,"  declared  the  Chris- 
tian apostle,  and  so  also  taught  the  Hebrew 
prophet ;  and  that  conception  of  God's  sovereignty 
as  delegated  and  exercised  through  appointed 
rulers  is  discoverable  throughout  the  prophecy. 
He  traced  the  sin  and  corruption,  the  sighing  and 
crying,  the  agony  and  tears  of  the  people,  to 
the  misrule  of  the  men  in  authority. 

The  permanent  values  of  this  prophecy  of 
Micah  then  are  two  ;  first,  the  unmasking  and 
denunciation  of  false  rulers  ;  and,  secondly,  the 
unveiling  and  proclamation  of  the  true  Ruler. 
In  each  case  the  authority  is  seen  not  in  the 
abstract,  but  in  the  concrete.  False  authority  is 
seen  in  the  princes,  priests,  and  prophets,  by 
whom  Micah  was  surrounded  ;  true  authority  in 
the  One,  Whose  advent  he  saw  in  an  hour  of  ex- 
alted and  holy  vision,  and  of  Whom  he  spoke 
remarkable  words  which  are  evidently  Messianic. 

Let  us  first  consider  what  this  prophecy  teaches 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH  247 

concerning  false  authority.  It  is  completely  un- 
masked in  one  brief  statement,  "  The  heads 
thereof  judge  for  reward,  and  the  priests  thereof 
teach  for  hire,  and  the  prophets  thereof  divine  for 
money."  In  these  words  Micah  named  the  three 
sections  of  rulers ;  civil,  the  princes ;  spiritual,  the 
priests ;  and  moral,  the  prophets.  He  showed 
wherein  lay  the  secret  of  failure  to  rule  in  each  case, 
and  consequently  the  secret  of  the  corruption  of 
the  people  over  whom  they  ruled.  There  is  more 
satire  in  his  last  description  than  in  the  first  two, 
for  in  that  he  was  dealing  with  men  of  his  own 
order,  whom  he  understood  more  perfectly  than 
he  did  either  princes  or  priests.  When  speaking 
of  the  princes  he  used  a  word  which  characterized 
their  proper  activity ;  they  judge,  but  they  do  it 
for  reward.  When  he  spoke  of  the  priests  he 
used  a  word  which  characterized  their  responsi- 
bility ;  they  teach,  but  they  do  it  for  hire.  When 
he  came  to  deal  with  the  prophets  he  used  a  word 
which  did  not  characterize  their  responsibility, 
but  which  revealed  what  they  were  really  doing. 
The  prophets  were  not  prophesying,  they  were 
divining.  The  Hebrew  word  here  translated 
divining  is  one  which  indicates  the  activity  which 
God  had  forbidden,  that  of  sorcery  and  witchcraft. 


248  THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH 

He  thus  employed  a  word  which  showed  how 
deep  their  sin  was.     They  divined  for  money. 

Take  each  of  these  for  brief  examination. 
"  The  heads  thereof  judge  for  reward."  In  the 
earlier  part  of  the  chapter  we  find  more  particu- 
larly what  that  means.  The  prophet  described 
their  proper  function,  "  Hear,  I  pray  you,  ye 
heads  of  Jacob,  and  rulers  of  the  house  of  Israel : 
is  it  not  for  you  to  know  judgment  ?  "  Then  he 
described  their  character,  "  who  hate  the  good, 
and  love  the  evil."  Finally,  he  described  their 
conduct,  "  who  pluck  off  their  skin  from  off  them, 
and  their  flesh  from  off  their  bones  ;  who  also  eat 
the  flesh  of  My  people  ;  and  they  flay  their  skin 
from  off  them,  and  break  their  bones :  yea,  they 
chop  them  in  pieces,  as  for  the  pot,  and  as  flesh 
within  the  caldron."  The  men  who  ought  to 
know  judgment,  and  exercise  judgment,  and  rule 
over  the  people,  are  men  who  hate  the  good  and 
love  the  evil,  and  the  result  is  the  spoliation  of 
the  people.  "  The  heads  thereof  judge  for 
reward."  They  are  men  who  take  bribes,  men 
who  can  be  bought,  men  who  make  it  impossible 
for  the  poor  and  oppressed  to  find  judgment  and 
justice.  A  corrupt  ruler  is  one  who  exercises  the 
office  to  which  he  is  appointed,  not  impartially, 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH  249 

and  not  as  the  representative  of  the  throne  oi 
eternal  judgment,  but  for  reward.  There  is  no 
need  that  we  should  dwell  upon  the  heinousness 
of  that  sin.  Men,  whether  Christian  or  not,  know 
theoretically  how  dastardly  a  thing  it  is  for  a 
judge  to  receive  a  bribe. 

"The  priests  thereof  teach  for  hire."  The 
priests  are  the  spiritual  rulers,  and  one  is  almost 
startled  to  find  the  word  Micah  used  of  them, 
they  teach.  We  have  so  far  wandered  from  thi 
Old  Testament  idea  of  priesthood  as  to  imagine* 
that  teaching  is  not  a  part  of  its  work.  So  far  as 
the  relation  of  the  priest  to  man  is  concerned, 
this  is  the  principal  part  of  his  work.  So  far  as 
his  relation  to  God  is  concerned  he  had  to  carry 
out  the  ceremonial  instruction  and  sacrifices. 
But  towards  men  the  priest  was  a  teacher. 
Moses  in  his  final  message  had  declared,  "  Thou 
shalt  come  unto  the  priests  the  Levites  .  .  . 
and  thou  shalt  enquire  ;  and  they  shall  shew  thee 
the  sentence  of  judgment,  and  thou  shalt  do  ac- 
cording to  the  tenor  of  the  sentence,  which  they 
shall  shew  thee  from  that  place  which  the  Lord 
shall  choose  ;  and  thou  shalt  observe  to  do  all 
that  they  shall  teach  thee  ;  according  to  the  tenor 
of  the  law  which  they  shall  teach  thee,  thou  shalt 


2$o  THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH 

do :  thou  shalt  not  turn  aside  from  the  sentence." 
When  Micah  denounced  the  priests  he  evidently 
had  in  mind  that  ancient  provision  in  the 
economy  of  God.  The  true  function,  the  spirit- 
ual function  of  the  ancient  priesthood  was  that 
of  knowing  the  will  of  God  and  interpreting  it  to 
men.  The  work  of  the  priest  was  that  of  bring- 
ing to  bear  upon  material  things  the  light  and 
force  of  spiritual  things.  That  is  the  meaning  of 
teaching.  The  false  priest  holds  out  his  hand  for 
hire,  and  so  corrupts  the  people. 

Then  we  have  the  last  description,  "  the 
prophets  thereof  divine  for  money."  The  true 
word  descriptive  of  the  prophetic  work  should 
have  been  proclaim.  The  prophets  stood  for  the 
moral  standards  of  the  people.  Of  these  men 
Micah  declared,  they  "  bite  with  their  teeth  and 
cry,  Peace;  and  whoso  putteth  not  into  their 
mouths,  they  even  prepare  war  against  him." 
That  is  to  say,  the  prophets  were  prepared  to  say 
certain  things  to  the  people  on  certain  conditions. 
If  the  people  would  feed  them  they  would  say, 
Peace;  if  they  would  not,  then  the  prophets 
would  denounce  them. 

Thus  in  this  brief  description  we  have  the 
most  complete  unmasking  of  false  authority. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH  251 

Wherever  we  find  distressed  and  suffering  peo- 
ple the  cause  is  to  be  discovered  finally  in  the 
rulers.  "  The  powers  that  be  are  ordained  of 
God."  If  the  powers  that  be  are  out  of  harmony 
with  God,  if  they  love  evil  and  hate  good,  if  they 
are  mastered  by  pure  selfishness,  the  people  pass 
into  the  place  of  suffering  and  corruption.  I 
care  not  whether  the  system  of  human  govern- 
ment be  autocracy,  limited  monarchy,  or  repub- 
licanism, we  still  find  these  orders  referred  to  by 
Micah ;  there  are  the  civil  rulers,  kings,  princes 
or  presidents ;  the  spiritual  rulers,  the  priests, 
men  who  stand  among  the  people  to  tell  them 
the  things  of  the  eternal  world  ;  the  moral  rulers, 
the  prophets,  the  men  who  interpret  to  their  age 
the  standards  of  right.  These  are  the  leaders  of 
men.  Whatever  may  be  the  form  of  human 
government,  men  are  still  under  the  threefold 
rule  of  civil,  spiritual  and  moral  authority.  When 
the  civil  rulers  enrich  themselves  out  of  their 
office,  the  result  is  a  demoralized  people.  When 
the  spiritual  rulers  are  seeking  hire,  the  people 
are  corrupted,  and  desolation  ensues.  When  the 
moral  rulers  are  seeking  for  money,  the  people 
are  degraded.  False  authority  is  authority  ex- 
ercised on  benalf  of  the  men  who  exercise  it 


252  THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH 

When  the  reason  why  a  man  rules  is  that  he  may 
get  gain  out  of  his  ruling,  the  people  suffer. 
The  right  to  rule  is  the  right  of  a  self-emptied 
life,  the  right  of  a  life  that  has  no  thought  of  its 
own  aggrandizement  or  enrichment.  That  is  the 
life  that  rises  to  a  position  of  true  power  in  the 
economy  of  God.  When  men  in  positions  of 
authority  in  the  spiritual,  civil,  or  moral  realms 
work  for  reward,  hire,  money,  the  people  become 
demoralized,  and  corruption  is  the  issue. 

Through  the  mists,  beyond  the  immediate, 
Micah  saw  the  coming  Ruler.  He  saw  Him  com- 
ing out  of  human  obscurity,  "  Thou,  Bethlehem 
Ephratah,  which  art  little  to  be  among  the  thou- 
sands of  Judah,  out  of  thee  shall  One  come  forth 
unto  Me  that  is  to  be  ruler  in  Israel."  The 
prophet,  borne  along  through  the  centuries,  car- 
ried away  from  the  immediate  surroundings  in 
the  midst  of  which  he  found  himself,  sick  at 
heart  of  the  false  rule  under  which  he  lived  and 
under  which  the  people  groaned  and  suffered, 
saw  in  the  distance  the  one  true  Ruler  to  Whom 
Jehovah  delegated  His  authority.  Micah  did  not 
perhaps  perfectly  understand  the  things  he  saw, 
or  the  things  he  wrote  upon  the  page  of  his 
prophecy,  which  we  must  date  at  least  six  or 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH  253 

seven  hundred  years  before  Christ ;  but  they  are 
the  facts  chronicled  in  the  gospel  story.  He  saw 
One  coming  out  of  human  obscurity,  out  of 
Bethlehem  Ephratah ;  and  yet  not  finally  from 
Bethlehem,  but  from  everlasting. 

He  then  described  the  administration  of  the 
coming  One  in  the  words,  "  He  shall  stand,  and 
shall  feed  His  flock  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord." 
The  false  rulers,  civil,  spiritual,  moral,  were  self- 
centred  men  who  governed  in  their  own  interest 
and  not  in  the  interest  of  the  people ;  seeking  for 
reward,  hire,  money.  The  true  ruler  will  stand 
inflexible  and  invincible  in  authority,  feeding  His 
flock  in  the  strength  of  Jehovah.  The  true  Ruler 
will  represent  Jehovah  and  act  in  His  strength. 
The  contrast  is  patent  and  forceful. 

Micah  finally  described  the  effect  of  the  rule  of 
the  true  Ruler,  in  one  simple  statement.  "This 
Man  shall  be  our  peace."  That  is  the  positive 
issue.  The  prophet  saw,  moreover,  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  true  rule,  the  destruction  of  all 
the  things  in  which  the  people  had  put  their  con- 
fidence when  they  were  under  false  rule  ;  horses, 
chariots,  cities,  strongholds,  witchcraft,  images, 
the  Asherim. 

The  strength  of  a  nation  is  never  in  its  horses 


254  THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICA  I  i 

and  chariots.  The  safety  of  a  nation  does  not  con- 
sist in  its  adoption  of  a  two-power  standard.  The 
strength  of  a  nation  is  not  in  its  cities  and  strong- 
holds, fortifications  and  armaments,  soothsaying 
and  witchcraft.  The  strength  of  a  nation  is  in  its 
Ruler. 

The  permanent  values  constitute  the  living 
message.  The  test  of  authority  is  its  motive. 
If  the  motive  of  civil  authority  is  the  aggrandize- 
ment of  the  ruler ;  if  the  motive  of  spiritual  au- 
thority is  the  creation  of  power  on  behalf  of  the 
priest ;  if  the  motive  of  moral  authority  is  the  en- 
richment of  the  prophet,  then  all  such  authority 
is  false  in  itself,  and  pernicious  in  its  effect. 

The  strength  of  authority  is  in  recognition  of 
Jehovah.  We  have  seen  it  perfectly  realized  in 
the  One  to  Whom  Micah  looked  on,  Who  came 
from  Bethlehem  Ephratah,  out  of  everlasting 
into  time,  to  lay  the  broad  foundations  of  the 
ultimate  Kingdom.  He  will  come  again  to  com- 
plete His  work,  and  we  shall  never  see  perfect 
government,  authority,  rule,  by  civil,  spiritual,  or 
moral  rulers,  until  that  hour  in  which  He  Who 
came  shall  come  again,  for  the  completion  of  His 
work. 

Our  duty  is  to  obey  Him.  for  our  eyes  have 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MICAH  255 

seen  Him  and  our  hearts  know  Him.  We  must 
enforce  His  ideals  by  our  living  and  by  our  teach- 
ing. With  loins  girt  about,  and  lamps  burning, 
we  must  wait  for  the  flaming  of  the  glory  of  His 
advent  feet ;  and  we  must  watch,  not  gloomily, 
but  with  sunlight  in  the  heart,  and  confidence  in 
the  life,  knowing  that  at  last  He  will  abolish 
chariots  and  horses,  cities,  strongholds,  and  all  the 
things  of  the  dust  in  which  men  put  their  confi- 
dence ;  and  establish  the  Kingdom  of  God  in  the 
eternal  strength  of  righteousness. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUE 


B 

THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


The  Seven  Words,    i.  a,  3. 


An  Explanation  of  the  Anger  of  God 

1.  The  Prophet's  Vision  of  God 

i.  The  general  Impression. 

a.  Jealous. 

b.  Vengeance. 

c.  Wrath. 

d.  Anger. 

e.  Indignation. 

f.  Fierceness. 
L  g.  Fury. 

U.  The  careful  Exposition. 

a.  The  threefold  Description,    i.  2. 

1.  The  Lord.     Passion  and  Action. 

2.  The  Lord.     Action  out  of  Passion. 

3.  The  Lord.     Discrimination. 

b.  The  threefold  Exposition,    i.  3-8. 

1.  The  Lord.     Slow. 

2.  The  Lord.     Irresistible. 

3.  The  Lord.     Salvation. 

Destruction. 

!I.  The  Prophet's  Vision  of  the  Vengeance  of  God 
i.  The  Reason.     Why  ? 

a.  Pride.        A  Godward  Sin.     i.  n. 

b.  Cruelty.     A  Manward  Sin.     iii.  I  and  on. 
iL  The  Principle.     When  ? 

a.  Godward.     After  Patience. 

b.  Manward.    Cup  of  Iniquity  so  full  that  Man 

agrees. 
iii.  The  Method.     How  ? 

a.  Destruction  of  the  Corrupt. 

b.  Opportunity  in  Interest  of  Others. 


I.  Concerning  God 

i.  To  believe  in  His  Love 
is  to  be  sure  of  His 
Wrath. 

ii.  His  Wrath  must  be  in- 
terpreted by  His  Love. 


II.  Concerning  Man 

i.  The  Sins  against  whic>- 
the  Wrath  of  God  pro 
ceeds. 

a.  Pride. 

b.  Cruelty. 

c.  Impenitence. 

ii.  The  Conditions  of  Safety 
"Them    that    put  theii 
Trust  in  Him." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM 

IT  is  impossible  to  read  the  book  of  the 
prophet  Nahum  without  an  almost  over- 
whelming sense  of  solemnity.  The  story  it 
has  to  tell  is  that  of  the  utter  and  irrevocable  de- 
struction of  a  great  city  and  a  great  people.  It 
was  first  uttered  by  the  prophet  Nahum  as  a 
prophecy.  It  is  all  the  more  solemn  to-day  be- 
cause it  has  become  history.  When  Nahum  de- 
livered his  message,  Judah  was  in  grave  peril,  by 
reason  of  the  cruel  oppression  threatened  by 
Assyria.  His  name  was  suggestive  to  those  who 
heard  it,  signifying  "  full  of  exceeding  comfort." 
To  people  in  such  condition  he  uttered  this  start- 
ling and  remarkable  prediction,  that  Nineveh,  the 
cruel,  the  terrible,  the  mighty,  though  proud  and 
defiant,  should  be  utterly  destroyed. 

To-day  the  traveller  finds  his  way  to  the 
ancient  site,  and  discovers  that  in  the  interval 
which  has  elapsed  since  the  uttering  of  the  proph- 
ecy, armies  have  positively  marched  over  the 

site  of  Nineveh,  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  beneath 

257 


258          THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM 

the  dust  on  which  they  trod  lay  the  ruins  of  a 
great  city.  The  ruins  are  now  being  laid  bare, 
and  tablets  and  inscriptions  have  been  discovered 
which  show  that  the  book  which  was  prophetic 
when  its  message  was  delivered  has  become  a 
page  of  actual  history.  The  descriptions  of  the 
destruction  of  the  city  are  no  longer  predictions ; 
they  are  accounts  of  things  which  have  actually 
happened.  I  repeat,  this  fact  adds  solemnity  to 
the  book. 

The  message  of  the  prophet  Nahum  is  closely 
compacted  together.  It  is  clear  in  statement, 
logical  in  argument,  definite  in  its  declarations. 
The  writer  describes  his  message  as  a  vision.  It 
is  a  vision,  first,  of  Jehovah ;  secondly,  of  Je- 
hovah in  anger  ;  and,  thirdly,  of  Jehovah  acting 
in  anger.  The  permanent  value  of  the  book  is 
that  it  sets  before  the  mind  as  no  other  book  in 
the  Old  Testament  does,  indeed  as  no  other  book 
in  the  Divine  library  does,  the  picture  of  the 
wrath  of  God. 

The  vision  is,  first,  a  vision  of  Jehovah. 
After  writing  the  prefatory  word,  "The  book 
of  the  vision  of  Nahum  the  Elkoshite,"  the 
prophet  immediately  began  to  describe  the 
vision : — 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM          259 

"  Jehovah  is  a  jealous  God  and  avengeth ;  Jehovah 
avengeth  and  is  full  of  wrath  ;  Jehovah  taketh  vengeance 
on  His  adversaries,  and  He  reserveth  wrath  for  His 
enemies." 

It  is  a  vision  of  Jehovah,  and  of  Jehovah  act- 
ing in  His  wrath.  The  tendency  of  the  day  is 
either  to  deny  or  to  shrink  entirely  from  any  ref- 
erence to  that  aspect  of  truth  concerning  God. 
Therefore  one  comes  to  this  book  with  an  added 
sense  of  solemnity,  and  with  a  very  sincere  and 
earnest  desire  to  discover  what  this  prophet 
teaches  on  so  startling  a  theme  as  that  of  the  an- 
ger of  God.  In  order  to  do  this  we  must  con- 
sider two  aspects  of  the  one  great  vision  which 
this  book  contains ;  first,  the  prophet's  vision  of 
God  ;  and  secondly,  the  prophet's  vision  of  the 
vengeance  of  God. 

The  prophet's  vision  of  God.  The  Hebrew 
prophets  constantly  delivered  messages  to  men 
under  the  constraint  of  some  revelation  of  God. 
Isaiah  had  gazed  upon  the  throne,  and  discov- 
ered the  fundamental  principles  of  government 
and  grace.  Jeremiah  had  seen  Jehovah,  and  had 
watched  His  activities  in  the  midst  of  perpetual, 
willful  failure  on  the  part  of  his  own  people. 
Ezekiel,  the  exile  by  the  banks  of  the  River  Che- 
bar,  had  seen  the  mystic  unveiling  of  God  in  the 


260          THE  MESSAGE  OE  NAHUM 

strange  imagery  of  living  ones,  amid  wheels,  and 
the  pervasive  energy  of  the  Spirit.  Nahum  also 
saw  Jehovah,  and  the  revelation  is  one  which 
overawes  the  spirit. 

In  the  first  passage  of  the  prophecy  the 
prophet  makes  use  of  no  less  than  seven  different 
and  distinct  words  to  describe  the  one  over- 
whelming and  awe-inspiring  fact  of  the  anger  of 
God.  Let  us  cite  the  words :  "  Jealous — venge- 
ance —  wrath  —  anger  —  indignation — fierceness 
— fury."  The  massing  of  these  words  in  so 
brief  a  passage  is  full  of  suggest! veness,  sub- 
duing the  spirit,  and  compelling  one  to  most 
careful  examination.  Let  us  take  each  in  turn. 

"Jealous"  The  Hebrew  word  was  derived 
from  a  root,  the  underlying  thought  of  which  is 
that  of  intensity.  We  might  accurately  express 
it  by  our  word  "  zealous."  It  is  a  word  which 
suggests  an  attitude  of  the  emotional  nature. 
The  Hebrew  word,  like  our  English  word,  if 
carefully  considered,  presupposes  love.  We 
need  not  be  afraid  of  interpreting  the  real  sug- 
gestiveness  of  this  word  by  the  word  "jealous" 
in  our  ordinary  speech.  It  grows  out  of  the 
thought  of  love.  It  is  an  attitude  of  the  emo- 
tional nature.  It  describes  the  wrath  of  God  sub- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM          261 

jectively,  that  is,  as  to  what  He  feels  within  Him- 
self, and  thus  helps  us  to  find  the  deepest  fact  in 
His  anger.  There  is  a  jealousy  which  is  mean 
petty,  self-centred.  That  is  not  the  suggestion 
of  this  word. 

" Avengeth"  Here  we  have  the  quite  simple 
idea  of  definite  punishment ;  only  we  must  re- 
member that  punishment  is  retribution,  and 
never  retaliation  in  the  economy  of  God.  Venge- 
ance on  the  part  of  man  constantly  means  re- 
taliation. Vengeance  on  the  part  of  God  always 
means  retribution.  If  the  word  "jealous"  pre- 
supposes the  emotional  nature,  and  indicates 
the  subjective  fact,  the  word  "vengeance"  pre- 
supposes the  volitional  nature,  and  indicates  the 
objective  aspect  of  the  same  fact. 

"  Wrath"  Here  we  have  perhaps  the 
strangest  thought  of  all.  The  Hebrew  word 
comes  from  another  word  which  means  to  cross 
over.  This  particular  word  was  perpetually  used 
by  the  Hebrew  people  to  indicate  the  other  side 
of  Jordan,  and  almost  invariably  referred  to  the 
eastern  side  thereof.  Consequently  this  word 
"  wrath "  suggests  a  change  in  the  Divine  atti- 
tude. Judgment  is  "  His  strange  act."  God 
willeth  not  the  death  of  a  sinner,  but  in  certain 


262          THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM 

conditions,  discoverable  in  the  prophecy  of 
Nahum,  God  inflicts  the  death  penalty  on  a  sin- 
ner. In  wrath  He  has  crossed  over  necessarily, 
and  the  resulting  attitude  is  the  opposite  of  ten- 
derness, healing,  and  compassion. 

"Anger  .  .  .  indignation^  We  take 
these  two  words  together,  for  they  are  both 
pictorial.  Of  anger  the  root  thought  is  hard 
breathing.  Of  indignation  the  suggestion  is  of 
that  formidable  and  terrible  aspect  of  anger 
which  accompanies  hard  breathing,  foaming  at 
the  mouth.  They  are  pictorial  words,  which 
startle  and  alarm  us  when  used  of  God.  The 
prophet  employs  them  to  indicate  the  outward 
expression  of  essential  anger. 

"  Fierceness  .  .  .  fury"  Again  we  take 
two  words.  "  Fierceness "  means  burning. 
11  Fury "  means  heat.  They  are  words  adding 
intensity  to  every  other  word  employed,  and 
thought  suggested. 

This  is  only  a  grouping  of  words.  It  is  im- 
possible, however,  to  read  the  paragraph  contain- 
ing them  without  recognizing  that  Nahum  saw 
God  angry.  Every  Hebrew  word  found  in  the 
Bible  suggesting  anger  is  packed  into  the  com- 
pass of  that  brief  and  awful  description.  Nahum 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM          263 

saw  God  jealous  and  exercising  vengeance :  saw 
Him  in  wrath,  having  crossed  over  from  that 
attitude  with  which  the  prophets  were  familiar  ; 
saw  Him  with  all  the  expressions  of  wrath, 
anger,  indignation ;  saw  Him  in  vengeance, 
fierce  in  its  burning,  white  hot  in  its  intensity. 

This,  however,  is  not  merely  a  piece  of  rhetoric, 
in  which  a  man  under  the  sway  of  some  personal 
feeling  of  vengeance  attributes  to  God  the  things 
that  are  in  his  own  heart.  It  is  a  most  careful 
and  remarkable  description  of  the  anger  of  God. 
The  paragraph  falls  into  two  portions.  We  have 
first  a  threefold  description  of  the  anger  of  God. 
We  have  next  an  exposition  of  that  threefold 
description.  The  great  name,  unuttered  by  the 
Hebrew,  appearing  upon  the  page  as  the  tetra- 
grammaton  YHVH,  occurs  three  times  in  the 
second  verse.  It  occurs  again  three  times  in  the 
following  six  verses.  This  is  a  systematic  ar- 
rangement. In  the  first  case  we  have  proclama- 
tion. In  the  second  case  we  have  explanation. 
We  must  put  the  explanation  over  against  the 
proclamation  if  we  would  understand  what 
Nahum  teaches  concerning  the  anger  of  God. 

First  examine  the  proclamation.  "  Jehovah  is 
a  jealous  God  and  avengeth."  In  that  declara- 


264          THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM 

tion  the  prophet  tells  us  that  passion  preceded 
action. 

"Jehovah  avengeth  and  is  full  of  wrath."  In 
the  second  declaration  the  prophet  makes  the 
same  statement,  but  in  the  other  order.  He  tells 
us  of  action  growing  out  of  passion. 

"  Jehovah  taketh  vengeance  on  His  adversa- 
ries, and  He  reserveth  wrath  for  His  enemies." 
In  that  statement  the  prophet  declares  that  the 
wrath  of  God  as  passion  and  action  is  charac- 
terized by  discrimination,  and  is  never  capricious 
or  careless. 

That  verse  is  a  general  proclamation  of  the 
fact  that  out  of  passion  grows  action,  but  that 
action  out  of  passion  is  always  governed  by 
principle.  I  believe  it  was  Pusey  who  declared 
that  in  the  case  of  man,  wrath  becomes  his 
master  and  drives  him ;  in  the  case  of  God  He  is 
always  Master  of  His  wrath  and  uses  it.  It  is  a 
most  important  distinction. 

Now  let  us  turn  to  the  explanation,  taking  in 
each  case  the  proclamation  in  immediate  connec- 
tion with  the  explanation. 

"  Jehovah  is  a  jealous  God  and  avengeth." 
"  Jehovah  is  slow  to  anger,  and  great  in  power,  and  will 
by  no  means  clear  the  guilty." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM          265 

"  Jehovah  avengeth  and  is  full  of  wrath." 

"  Jehovah  hath  His  way  in  the  whirlwind  and  in  the 
storm,  and  the  clouds  are  the  dust  of  His  feet.  He  re- 
buketh  the  sea  and  maketh  it  dry,  and  drieth  up  all  the 
rivers  :  Bashan  languisheth,  and  Carmel,  and  the  flower  of 
Lebanon  languisheth.  The  mountains  quake  at  Him,  and 
the  hills  melt  ;  and  the  earth  is  upheaved  at  His  presence, 
yea,  the  world,  and  all  that  dwell  therein.  Who  can  stand 
before  His  indignation  ?  and  who  can  abide  in  the  fierce- 
ness of  His  anger  ?  His  fury  is  poured  out  like  fire,  and 
the  rocks  are  broken  asunder  by  Him." 

"Jehovah  taketh  vengeance  on  His  adversaries,  and  He 
reserveth  wrath  for  His  enemies." 

"Jehovah  is  good,  a  stronghold  in  the  day  of  trouble; 
and  He  knoweth  them  that  put  their  trust  in  Him.  But 
with  an  overrunning  flood  He  will  make  a  full  end  of  the 
place  thereof,  and  will  pursue  His  enemies  into  darkness." 

That  simple  reading  of  proclamation  and  ex- 
planation in  relation  in  each  case  gives  a  result 
which  may  thus  be  tabulated. 

Jehovah's  wrath  is  a  passion  born  of  love,  which  pro- 
ceeds to  action. 

Jehovah  is  slow  to  anger. 

Jehovah's  wrath  is  an  activity  which  proceeds  out  of  the 
passion  of  His  love. 

Jehovah  is  irresistible  in  anger. 

Jehovah's  anger  is  discriminative. 

Jehovah's  anger  is  not  for  those  who  put  their  trust  in 
Him,  but  for  His  enemies. 

Do  not  let  us  imagine  when  we  think  of  the 
anger  of  God  that  it  is  anything  like  the  hot, 
passionate,  blind,  foolish  blundering  of  a  man 
in  a  temper.  He  is  slow  to  anger ;  yet,  having 


266          THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM 

once  crossed  over  in  the  presence  of  things 
which  demand  the  new  attitude  of  vengeance, 
He  is  irresistible  as  the  hurricane  that  beats  the 
sea  into  fury,  or  the  simoom  that  sweeps  the  land 
with  desolation.  Nevertheless,  He  is  forever 
discriminative  ;  a  stronghold  to  such  as  put  their 
trust  in  Him,  while  of  His  enemies  He  makes  a 
full  end. 

We  turn  now  to  the  prophet's  vision  of  the 
vengeance  of  God.  We  look  for  Nineveh  to- 
day, and  find  that  the  prophecy  has  been  ful- 
filled to  the  letter.  There  are  three  questions  I 
propose  to  ask  in  the  presence  of  this  unveiling 
of  the  vengeance  of  God.  They  are  such  ques- 
tions as  a  child  might  ask. 

Why  does  God  act  in  vengeance  ? 
When  does  God  act  in  vengeance? 
How  does  God  act  in  vengeance  ? 

The  answers  to  these  questions  are  given  in 
this  prophecy  and  reveal  the  reason  of  the 
Divine  judgment;  the  principle  of  the  Divine 
judgment ;  and  the  method  of  the  Divine  judg- 
ment. 

Why  does  God  act  in  judgment?  The  answer 
reveals  the  reason.  That  is  stated  in  two  pas- 
sages which  we  will  put  into  close  connection. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM          267 

"  There  is  one  goeth  forth  out  of  thee,  that  imagineth 
evil  against  the  Lord,  that  counselleth  wickedness." 

"  Hear,  I  pray  you,  ye  heads  of  Jacob,  and  rulers  of 
the  house  of  Israel :  is  it  not  for  you  to  know  judgment? 
who  hate  the  good,  and  love  the  evil ;  who  pluck  off  their 
skin  from  off  them,  and  their  flesh  from  off  their  bones  ; 
who  also  eat  the  flesh  of  My  people ;  and  they  flay  their 
skin  from  off  them,  and  break  their  bones :  yea,  they  chop 
them  in  pieces,  as  for  the  pot,  and  as  flesh  within  the 
caldron." 

The  reference  in  the  first  passage  is  to  the  sin 
of  Sennacherib  described  in  Isaiah,  the  sin  in 
which  the  fundamental  sin  of  Assyria  had  its 
manifestation.  It  was  that  of  the  pride  which 
dared  God.  As  to  the  second  passage,  it  de- 
scribes the  sin  of  Assyria  as  manifested  towards 
man,  that  of  oppression  and  cruelty. 

Thus,  there  are  two  sins  calling  for  the  angel 
of  God  :  the  Godward  sin  of  pride  and  rebellion, 
expressed  finally  by  Sennacherib  as  he  went 
forth  and  challenged  God  ;  the  manward  sin  of 
cruelty  and  oppression.  These  two  are  inter- 
related. We  never  find  one  without  the  other. 
A  people  proud  and  lifted  up  in  rebellion  against 
God  is  a  people  cruel  in  its  treatment  of  men. 
The  interrelation  is  inevitable  and  invariable. 
Jesus  summarized  all  the  law  in  the  words, 
"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all 
thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all 


268          THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM 

thy  mind.  .  .  .  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neigh- 
bour as  thyself."  The  man  who  says  he  loves 
God,  yet  hates  his  neighbour,  is  a  liar.  That 
description  is  not  mine.  It  is  the  description  of 
the  apostle  of  love,  the  man  who  laid  his  head 
upon  the  bosom  of  the  Christ,  and  listened  to 
the  beating  of  His  heart.  So  that  when  I  am 
asked  what  Nahum  teaches  concerning  the 
reason  of  God's  vengeance,  the  reply  is  that 
God  acts  in  vengeance  in  the  interest  of  others. 
He  smites  out  of  the  love  which  is  in  His  heart 
for  those  who  are  oppressed  and  stricken. 

Let  us  take  our  second  question.  When  does 
God  become  a  God  of  wrath  towards  a  nation  or 
towards  a  man  ?  The  answer  to  this  question  re- 
veals the  principle  of  the  Divine  judgment.  God 
destroyed  Nineveh  after  long  patience.  One 
hundred  years  before  He  had  sent  a  reluctant 
prophet  to  foretell  its  doom.  Nineveh  repented, 
but  afterwards  repented  of  its  repentance.  Now 
at  last,  Jehovah  becomes  a  God  that  avengeth. 
When  God  proceeds  in  judgment,  man,  observ- 
ing from  the  standpoint  of  essential  right,  is  in 
absolute  agreement  with  Him.  "  Thy  shepherds 
slumber,  O  king  of  Assyria :  thy  worthies  are  at 
rest :  thy  people  are  scattered  upon  the  moun- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM  269 

tains,  and  there  is  none  to  gather  them.  There 
is  no  assuaging  of  thy  hurt ;  thy  wound  is  griev- 
ous ;  all  that  hear  the  bruit  of  thee  clap  the 
hands  over  thee ;  for  upon  whom  hath  not  thy 
wickedness  passed  continually  ? "  When  the 
ruin  of  Nineveh  came,  the  story  of  it  came  as 
an  evangel  to  the  nations,  because  of  Assyria's 
cruelty  and  oppression.  When  God  proceeded 
in  judgment,  men  who  loved  righteousness  and 
saw  things  in  their  true  relation  to  the  eternities 
agreed  in  the  necessity  for  His  vengeance. 

Our  last  question  is,  How  does  God  act  in 
vengeance?  The  answer  reveals  the  method. 
That  answer  is  discovered  in  Nineveh  as  she  is 
to-day.  In  the  hour  of  her  ruin,  natural  forces 
and  the  enmity  of  men  cooperated  to  bring  about 
the  result.  Deodorus  Seculus  had  prophesied 
that  the  ancient  capital  would  never  be  captured 
until  her  river  turned  against  her.  The  actual 
history  tells  how  in  the  day  when  she  was 
hemmed  in  by  enemies,  suddenly  the  river  swept 
in,  and  by  the  great  gap  it  made  in  her  walls,  the 
enemy  entered.  The  materialist  will  speak  of 
the  way  in  which  Nineveh  happened  to  be 
destroyed.  The  men  of  spiritual  vision  know 
that  through  natural  forces  and  the  opposing 


2/0          THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM 

« 

army,  God  moved  forward  and  blotted  out  a  peo- 
ple with  whom  He  had  long  had  patience. 

What  is  the  living  message  of  Nahum  to  our 
own  age  ?  It  is  first  a  message  concerning  God, 
which  I  propose  to  state  in  the  briefest  sentences. 
To  believe  in  His  love  is  to  be  sure  of  His 
wrath.  In  the  hour  in  which  you  can  persuade 
me  that  God  is  never  angry,  you  persuade  me 
that  He  cannot  love.  We  are  ofteii  asked  to-day 
to  interpret  the  Divine  from  the  standpoint  of 
the  human.  I  am  quite  willing,  for  the  moment, 
to  adopt  the  method.  Can  you  look  at  sin, 
wrong,  oppression,  and  never  be  moved  ?  If  so, 
it  is  because  you  are  incapable  of  love.  Have 
you  no  care  about  China  and  the  oppression  of 
her  people  ?  Have  you  really  no  interest  in  the 
Congo  atrocities  ?  Have  you  no  care  for  the 
wronged  multitudes  of  your  own  city  ?  As  a 
Christian  worker,  have  you  never  longed  to  lay 
violent  hands  upon  some  devil  incarnate  who  has 
wronged  a  woman  ?  Then  you  have  no  love  in 
your  nature.  If  it  be  true  that  God  cannot  burn, 
smite,  destroy  in  vengeance,  then  He  is  a  God 
incapable  of  love.  To  believe  in  His  love  is  to 
be  sure  of  His  wrath. 

Nahum  teaches,  moreover,  that  His  wrath  must 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  NAHUM          271 

always  be  interpreted  by  His  love.  Let  us  be- 
ware how  we  commit  blasphemy  in  thinking  of 
God  as  petulantly  angry,  selfishly  ill-tempered. 
Behind  the  wrath  is  the  infinite  mystery  of 
His  love.  His  activity  in  vengeance  in  the  last, 
the  final  analysis,  proves  the  depth  of  His  love. 

The  message  is  also  one  concerning  man. 
Nahum  reveals  the  sins  against  which  the  wrath 
of  God  proceeds.  I  do  but  name  them. 
Whether  they  are  national,  social,  or  individual 
the  same  truth  applies.  The  sins  against  which 
God  acts  in  vengeance  are  the  pride  that  neglects 
Him ;  the  cruelty  that  is  exercised  towards  our 
fellow  men ;  the  impenitence  which  persists,  in 
spite  of  the  slowness  of  His  anger ;  or  that  most 
awful  repentance,  which  is  repentance  of  repent- 
ance, in  the  exercise  of  which  man  turns  back  to 
the  sin  he  professed  to  have  abandoned. 

There  is  one  final  note  in  the  message.  It  is 
that  of  the  absolute  justice  of  God,  for  His  wrath 
is  forevermore  discriminative.  "  Jehovah  is  good, 
a  stronghold  in  the  day  of  trouble ;  and  He 
knoweth  them  that  put  their  trust  in  Him.  But 
with  an  overrunning  flood  He  will  make  a  full 
end  of  the  place  thereof,  and  will  pursue  His 
enemies  into  darkness." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUE 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


"  Conceited." 

'  The  Crooked  Soul." 

Righteousness. 
Faith. 


Crystallized  In  one  clear  Statement,    ii.  4. 

I.  The  Declaration  Itself 

i.  The  actual  Text.     (See  Translations.) 
ii.  The  Contrast. 

a.  On  the  one  Side. 

1.  The  Manifest. 

2.  The  Hidden.     « 

b.  On  the  other  Side. 

1.  The  Manifest. 

2.  The  Hidden, 
iii.  The  Affirmation. 

a.  Positive.     "  The  Just  shall  live  !  " 

b.  Negative.     Of  the  Conceited,  nothing  is  said. 

f  Faith  the  Principle  of  Life  in  spite  of  all  Appear- 

J      ances. 

I  Pride  destructive  in  spite  of  all  Appearances. 

II.  The  Illustrations 

i    Of  the  self  consuming  Nature  of  Life  which  is 
Self-centred,     ii.   6-19. 

a.  Its  Manifestations. 

b.  Its  Retribution. 

ii.  Of  the  triumphant  Experience  of  Life  which  is 
God-centred,     ii.  2o~iii. 

a.  The  Vision  of  God. 

b.  The  Reward  of  Faith. 


I.  Of    Habakkuk's  Experi- 
ence 

i.  The     Problems     recog- 
nized. 

ii.  The  Attitude  adopted. 
iii.  The  Answer  vouchsafed. 


II.  Of  the  Principle 

i.  Recognize  it 
ii.  Apply  it. 


III.  The  personal  Word 

i.  Application   to  persona 

Life. 
ii.  Application  to  Service. 


IV.  The  central  Word 
«  Wait " 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK 

THE  method  of  this  book  is  peculiar. 
While  it  constituted  a  message  to  the 
people  of  God,  its  method  was  not  that 
of  direct  address.  This  is  seen  at  once  if  we  put 
it  into  contrast  with  that  of  Hosea.  In  the 
prophecy  of  Hosea  we  have  the  notes,  or  general 
outlines,  of  a  public  ministry  extending  over 
more  than  half  a  century ;  and  in  all  there  are 
the  elements  of  public  address,  of  messages  de- 
livered to  men.  These  are  absent  from  the  book 
of  Habakkuk.  Like  the  book  of  Jonah,  it  tells 
the  story  of  a  personal  experience. 

The  book  of  Jonah  gives  the  account  of  a  man's 
failure  to  sympathize  with  God,  and  therefore  of 
his  failure  to  sympathize  with  Nineveh.  The 
book  of  Habakkuk  is  the  story  of  a  believer's  con- 
flict of  faith,  and  of  the  ultimate  triumph  of  faith. 
The  very  character  of  the  book  makes  it  easier 
than  usual  to  discover  its  permanent  value. 
That  is  crystallized  in  one  definite  statement 
which  lies  at  its  heart : — 

273 


2/4     THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK 

"  Behold,  his  soul  is  puffed  up,  it  is  not  upright  in  him: 
but  the  just  shall  live  by  his  faith." 

This  statement  in  itself  suggests  difficulty 
rather  than  declaration.  Therefore,  in  order  to 
understand  it,  we  need  the  whole  background  of 
the  prophet's  experience.  That  background  of 
experience  may,  for  the  purpose  of  this  study, 
be  stated  by  the  repetition  of  a  brief  paragraph 
from  my  previous  lecture  on  the  content  of  the 
book : — 

"  In  this  book  we  have  a  man  of  faith  asking 
questions  and  receiving  answers.  A  comparison 
of  i.  2  with  iii.  19  will  give  an  indication  of  the 
true  value  of  the  book.  Opening  in  mystery 
and  questioning,  it  closes  in  certainty  and  affirma- 
tion. The  contrast  is  startling.  The  first  is 
almost  a  wail  of  despair,  and  the  last  is  a  shout 
of  confidence.  From  the  affirmation  of  faith's 
agnosticism  we  come  to  the  affirmation  of  agnos- 
ticism's faith." 

That  is  the  story  of  Habakkuk.  At  the  begin- 
ning, a  man  who  believes  in  God  is  heard 
declaring  his  agnosticism,  "  How  long  shall  I 
cry,  and  Thou  wilt  not  hear?  I  cry  out  unto 
Thee  of  violence,  and  Thou  wilt  not  save "  ;  or 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK      275 

to  give  the  more  literal  and  forceful  translation, 
"  I  cry,  Violence,  and  Thou  wilt  not  save."  That 
is  faith's  agnosticism,  belief's  problem.  Every 
man  of  faith  faces  a  similar  problem  sooner  or  later. 

Faith  is  the  underlying  principle  of  the  life, 
but  it  is  bewildered  by  the  circumstances,  and  it 
says  so.  In  answer  to  its  challenge  it  receives 
a  declaration,  and  so  is  confirmed.  The  story  of 
Habakkuk  is  that  of  a  movement  from  the  ex- 
perience of  doubt  and  questioning,  to  that  of 
certainty  and  praise,  and  the  doorway  between 
the  two  is  found  in  the  statement  already  quoted. 
All  the  first  part  of  the  book  leads  to  that  door. 
All  the  latter  part  of  the  book  proceeds  from  that 
door  into  ever  widening  experience. 

Habakkuk  does  not  end  with  a  wail ;  he  ends 
with  a  song.  He  does  not  end  with  enquiry ;  he 
ends  with  affirmation.  He  begins  by  saying, 
There  is  violence  and  cruelty,  and  God  does 
nothing.  He  ends  by  saying : — 

"  For  though  the  fig  tree  shall  not  blossom, 
Neither  shall  fruit  be  in  the  vines ; 
The  labour  of  the  olive  shall  fail, 
And  the  fields  shall  yield  no  meat ; 
The  flock  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  fold, 
And  there  shall  be  no  herd  in  the  stalls : 
Yet  I  will  rejoice  in  the  Lord, 
I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  salvation." 


276     THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK 

I  want  to  discover  the  secret  of  this  change,  and 
I  do  so  in  the  central  statement,  which  reveals 
the  contrasted  principles  or  motives  of  false  and 
true  life. 

Let  us  first  examine  the  declaration  itself.  We 
recognize  at  once  that  there  have  been  difficulties 
in  translating  this  particular  verse.  We  are 
familiar  with  the  reading  of  the  Revised  Version. 
Let  us  take  four  other  translations  in  order  that 
we  may  recognize  the  difficulty,  and  yet  see  that 
while  there  is  difficulty,  there  is  agreement  also 
in  certain  fundamental  matters,  which  are  the 
matters  of  supreme  importance. 

Pusey  translates  thus : — 

"  Lo,  swollen  is  it,  not  upright  is  his  soul  in 
him.  The  righteous  by  his  faith  he  shall  live." 

Henderson  translates  thus  : — 

"  Behold  the  proud !  His  soul  is  not  right 
within  him ;  but  the  righteous  shall  live  by  his 
faith." 

George  Adam  Smith  translates  thus : — 
"  Lo,  swollen  !      Not  level  is  his  soul  within 
him  ;   but  the  righteous  shall  live  by  his  faith- 
fulness." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK      277 

Joseph  Bryant  Rotherham  translates  thus  : — 
"  Lo  I  as  for  the  conceited  one,  crooked  is  his 

soul  within  him  ;  but  one  who  is  righteous  by  his 

faithfulness  shall  live." 

So  far  as  I  have  any  right  to  make  a  distinction, 
I  infinitely  prefer  this  last  translation.  The 
difficulty  of  expressing  the  thought  of  one  lan- 
guage in  another  is  very  great,  it  being  almost 
impossible  to  carry  over  the  light  and  shade  of 
suggestion.  I  like  this  translation  of  Rotherham, 
because  it  seems  to  me  to  convey  the  more 
delicate  tones  of  the  original,  better  than  any 
other. 

The  differences  are  those  of  the  words  swollen, 
proud,  conceited  one.  Yet  as  we  think  of  the 
peculiar  quality  and  value  of  these  different  words, 
we  also  discover  the  identity  of  suggestion. 
Again  there  is  the  difference  between  the  expres- 
sions "  By  faith  "  and  "  By  faithfulness."  I  have 
no  doubt  whatever  that  the  word  which  is  an 
actual  translation  of  the  original  is  not  faith,  but 
faithfulness;  yet  that  necessarily  includes  the 
idea  of  faith.  It  is  to  that  fundamental  idea  those 
would  draw  attention  who  have  translated  the 
Hebrew  word  by  our  word  faith  ;  while  the  use  of 


2/3      THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK 

the  word  faithfulness  suggests  rather  the  result 
of  the  operation  of  faith  on  the  character  and 
conduct  of  the  man  of  faith.  The  word  faithful- 
ness means,  quite  literally,  fullness  of  faith.  It 
may  be  affirmed  that  faithfulness  means  fidelity. 
And  so  it  does  ;  but  what  is  fidelity  other  than 
fullness  of  faith  ?  Fidelity  is  a  word  which  ex- 
presses the  outward  result  of  the  inward  grace, 
which  is  fullness  of  faith.  The  Hebrew  word 
carries  both  thoughts.  The  inward  grace,  the 
master  principle,  is  fullness  of  faith ;  and  the 
outward  manifestation,  the  obedient  practice,  is 
fidelity. 

It  is  patent,  therefore,  that  all  these  translations 
are  in  perfect  agreement  in  the  way  in  which 
they  put  two  attitudes  of  life  into  contrast.  An 
examination  of  the  different  terminology  by 
which  the  one  attitude  of  life  is  described,  reveals 
the  same  attitude  in  each  case.  So  also  if  with 
equal  carefulness  we  examine  the  words  which 
describe  the  other  attitude,  we  discover  that  the 
attitude  is  always  the  same. 

Let  us  now  observe  the  contrast.  On  the  one 
side  we  have  certain  manifest  things,  and  a 
hidden  secret.  On  the  other  side  we  have  also 
certain  manifest  things,  and  a  hidden  secret. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK      279 

As  to  the  first.  The  words  conceited,  swollen, 
or  proud  indicate  the  external  manifestation. 
What,  then,  is  the  hidden  secret  ?  That  of  the 
soul  not  upright,  not  right,  not  level,  crooked. 
The  outward  manifestation  is  conceit ;  the  hidden 
secret  is  crookedness  of  soul. 

As  to  the  second.  Here  also  is  the  outward 
manifestation  of  righteousness,  and  the  hidden 
secret  of  fullness  of  faith.  One  need  not  dwell 
here  a  single  moment,  for  the  statement  is  per- 
fectly simple.  Goodness  is  always  simple.  It  is 
evil  which  is  complex.  It  is  much  more  difficult 
to  discover  the  devil  than  God,  to  define  evil 
than  goodness.  It  is  always  more  difficult  to 
deal  with  a  crooked  thing  than  with  a  straight 
thing.  Suffer  me  a  parable.  Supposing  I  had 
in  my  possession,  but  out  of  your  sight,  two 
sticks.  If  I  said  to  you,  I  have  a  straight  stick 
and  a  crooked  stick,  which  can  you  imagine  best? 
Your  answer  would  inevitably  be,  the  straight 
one,  for  a  straight  stick  is  a  straight  stick  ;  but  a 
crooked  stick  may  be  crooked  in  a  hundred  dif- 
ferent ways.  All  of  which  is  but  to  remind  us  of 
the  complexity  of  evil  and  the  simplicity  of  good- 
ness. 

So  far  we  have  not  considered  the  declaration 


280     THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK 

itself,  We  have  been  dealing  with  terms  only, 
the  instruments  through  which  the  light  is  to 
flash.  What,  then,  is  the  central  affirmation  ? 
"  My  righteous  one  shall  live  by  his  faith."  I 
am  convinced  that  we  have  been  in  danger  of 
putting  too  much  emphasis  upon  the  thoughts 
suggested  by  the  words  "  righteous  "  and  "faith" 
Or  perhaps  it  would  be  more  correct  to  say  that 
we  have  put  too  little  emphasis  upon  the  positive 
and  flaming  affirmation,  "  He  shall  live"  In 
this  connection  notice  the  remarkable  contrast  of 
silence.  Of  the  conceited  soul  nothing  is  said. 
He  is  puffed  up,  his  soul  is  crooked  within  him. 
What  does  he  do  ?  Nothing.  Does  he  not  live  ? 
No. 

Now  carefully  observe  the  application  of  all  this 
to  the  problem  of  Habakkuk.  He  looked  around, 
and  saw  everything  crooked,  unlike  God,  proud  ; 
the  wicked  flourishing  like  a  green  bay  tree ; 
violence  rampant  1  What  was  God  doing  ?  The 
righteous  were  oppressed,  broken  ;  hardly  any  of 
them  were  left ;  they  were  dying  out. 

Poor  pessimistic  soul  I  What  does  the  text 
say  ?  "  Behold,  swollen  is  he ;  crooked  is  his 
soul  within  him."  Anything  else?  Nothing 
about  the  apparently  flourishing  wicked,  but 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK      281 

something  about  the  fainting  righteous.  "My 
righteous  one  shall  live." 

The  result  of  that  declaration  for  Habakkuk 
was  that  his  agnosticism  merged  into  song. 
Faith  is  the  principle  of  life  in  spite  of  all  appear- 
ances. Pride  is  destructive  in  spite  of  all  ap- 
pearances. These  godless  men  and  affairs  seem 
to  be  so  high  and  so  proud ;  these  enterprises, 
which  are  in  rebellion  against  eternity,  seem  so 
mighty,  and  encased  in  armour  so  strong  that 
we  cannot  overcome  them.  Look  again.  "  My 
righteous  one" — poor,  despised,  in  difficulty, 
hardly  daring  to  lift  his  head — "  shall  live."  The 
principle  of  faith  is  the  principle  of  life.  Any- 
thing that  is  not  of  faith  is  crooked  and  swollen ; 
leave  it  alone.  It  will  pass  and  perish. 

What  is  God  doing?  He  is  presiding  over 
His  own  law,  watching  it  work  out  to  its  ultimate 
conclusion,  holding  everything  in  His  grasp ;  and, 
in  spite  of  the  appearance  of  the  moment,  surely,  if 
as  men  count  time,  slowly,  crushing  all  that  which 
is  crooked  in  its  soul  and  swollen  in  its  pride,  and 
lifting  into  life  all  the  things  which  are  of  faith. 

Then  the  prophet  turns  to  affirmation !  The 
illustrations  that  follow  flash  their  light  back  upon 
this  central  declaration. 


282      THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK 

He  first  describes  the  swollen  and  the  proudk 
their  pride  and  their  passing,  the  manifestations 
of  the  self-centred  life,  and  the  retribution  that  in- 
evitably follows  such  life.  All  the  things  of  pride 
and  self-seeking  pass  before  the  vision — ambi- 
tion, covetousness,  violence,  insolence,  idolatry 
— and  the  prophet  shows  that  every  one  in- 
volves its  own  nemesis  and  judgment.  Those 
who  have  been  crushed  under  the  rule  of  the 
swollen,  revolt;  and  he  is  spoiled.  When  the 
swollen  would  come  into  possession  of  the  cities 
he  has  coveted ;  the  very  walls  talk,  the  very 
beams  thunder  out  judgment.  There  is  no 
possession  granted  to  greed.  Violence  issues  in 
self-destruction.  Insolence  made  men  drunk,  and 
laughed  at  them  when  they  were  drunk ;  in  turn 
the  proud  himself  is  made  drunk,  and  becomes 
the  shame  of  all  who  gaze  upon  him.  The  keen 
satire  of  Habakkuk  is  poured  upon  idolatry,  as 
he  declares  of  idols  there  is  no  breath  in  them ;  to 
pray  to  them  is  to  be  unanswered  ;  to  be  in  agony 
is  to  find  no  helper.  The  self-centred  life — am- 
bitious, covetous,  idolatrous — seems  to  rise  higher 
and  still  higher ;  but  the  prophet  has  heard  the  se- 
cret, and  he  knows  that  pride-destroying  forces 
are  already  working  the  destruction  of  the  proud. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK      283 

Then  he  illustrates  the  life  of  faith.  There  is 
first  the  vision  of  God  coming  from  Teman. 
Then  he  traces,  as  I  think,  the  whole  history 
of  the  Hebrew  people  through  the  great  file- 
leaders  of  faith — Abraham,  Moses,  Joshua.  At 
last  he  trembles  as  he  watches  God's  judgment. 
He  who  had  thought  God  was  doing  nothing  to 
punish  evil,  now  prays  that  in  the  midst  of  wrath 
He  will  remember  mercy.  He  who  had  im- 
agined that  God  had  forsaken  the  faithful,  and 
left  them  to  their  fate,  at  last  breaks  out  into  the 
great  psalm  with  which  the  book  ends. 

The  living  message  is  perfectly  patent.  Faith 
has  still  its  problems.  The  outlook  is  often  dark 
and  desolating  enough.  The  message  of  this 
book  is  first  that  we  cannot  and  ought  not  to 
judge  by  the  appearances  of  the  hour,  but  by 
the  word  of  God,  which  is  at  once  His  oath  and 
covenant. 

When  we  have  to  confront  these  problems, 
let  us  take  up  Habakkuk's  attitude.  Habakkuk 
might  have  started  out  as  a  lecturer  on  the  incon- 
sistencies of  the  doctrine  of  the  supposed  govern- 
ment of  God.  Instead  of  that  he  told  God  of  his 
perplexity.  He  poured  out  his  heart  in  the 
presence  of  God.  He  said,  I  cry  Violence  !  and 


284      THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK 

You  do  nothing.  Oh,  the  comfort  of  the  fact 
that  we  may  say  anything  to  God.  There  is  a 
hymn  we  sometimes  sing,  and  I  wonder  if  we 
really  mean  it :  "I  tell  Him  all  my  doubts  and 
griefs  and  fears."  The  trouble  is  that  we  talk 
of  our  doubts  to  our  neighbours  instead  of  telling 
them  to  Him.  The  best  place  to  speak  of  the 
secret  problem  is  the  Secret  Place.  Let  us  take 
time  to  listen  to  God  that  He  may  explain  Him- 
self to  us.  Some  one  says  God  does  not  speak 
to  men  to-day  as  He  did  of  old.  I  will  give  you 
a  truer  statement :  Men  do  not  listen  to-day  as 
they  listened  of  old.  If  men  will  listen,  God  will 
speak. 

Let  us  believe  the  truth  of  this  central  prin- 
ciple, and  apply  it.  Let  us  who  name  His  name, 
and  profess  to  be  men  of  faith,  put  the  measure- 
ments of  this  verse  upon  all  the  problems  that 
confront  us  in  this  world.  To  do  so  would  be  to 
find  ease  from  a  great  deal  of  pain,  to  be  saved 
from  a  vast  amount  of  suffering.  We  should 
not  so  often  be  degrading  Christianity  by  discuss- 
ing in  the  newspaper  columns  our  own  inability 
and  weakness.  There  are  vested  interests — high, 
proud,  swollen  things — lifting  themselves  against 
God  ;  but  they  do  not  live.  The  life  element  is 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK      285 

to  be  found  in  the  man  who  has  faith  in  God. 
There  is  life  in  none  other. 

Is  there  not  a  personal  word  of  application 
here  ?  Has  this  book  anything  to  say  to  me  ? 
"  The  swollen  is  crooked  in  soul,  but  My  righteous 
one  shall  live  by  his  faith."  In  the  compass  of 
my  own  life,  that  life  which  none  can  know  but 
God  and  myself  in  its  inner  and  deepest  things, 
how  does  that  verse  appeal  ?  Does  it  rebuke  me 
for  crookedness  of  soul,  or  vindicate  me  for  the 
trust  that  means  triumph  ? 

Did  I  say  that  my  own  life  none  can  know 
save  God  and  myself?  That  is  true,  yet  it  is 
always  manifest  sooner  or  later  in  the  external 
things.  If  I  am  crooked  in  soul,  men  will  find  it 
out  by  my  conceit.  Every  secret  sin  sooner  or 
later  flames  through  the  windows  of  the  soul, 
burns  upon  the  cheek,  blasts  the  external.  That 
matter  is  too  solemn  to  illustrate  in  public ;  it  is 
for  consideration  in  the  inner  chamber,  and  when 
the  door  is  shut. 

What  is  the  final  word  of  this  message  for  us  ? 
"Though  the  vision  tarry,  wait  for  it."  Does 
that  seem  an  easy  thing  to  do  ?  I  ask  the  ques- 
tion, and  would  give  you  time  to  think.  Have 
you  never  discovered  that  waiting  is  the  hardest 


286     THE  MESSAGE  OF  HABAKKUK 

of  all  work  ?  "  Wait."  It  is  a  great  word. 
How  shall  I  wait  ?  On  the  watch-tower,  telling 
God  everything,  and  listening  to  God.  When 
Habakkuk  looked  at  his  circumstances  he  was 
perplexed.  When  he  waited  for  God  and  listened 
to  God,  he  sang. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUE 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


Its  Revelation  of  the  Day  of  the  Lord 

I.  The  Content 

i.  The  direct  Act  of  God.     i.  laJ. 
ii.  Supernatural.  i.  14—16. 

H.  The  Extent 

i.  Judgment  upon  Sin. 

a.  Luxury  and  Indifference,  i.  12.  The  last  Stages. 

b.  The  evil  Spirit.  iii.  2. 

c.  The  Results.  iii.  3,  4,    f  Princes. 

I  Judges. 

ii.  The  whole  Extent.  1  Prophets. 

L  Priests. 

a.  Man,  and  all  he  has  polluted. 

b.  National  Life  and  History,  as  well  as  imme- 

diate Sins  swept  away. 

c.  Chaos  consumed. 

III.  The  Intent 

i.  The  Enthronement  of  Jehovah,     iii.  17. 
ii.  The  new  Order.     Vindication  of  the  Trusting. 

a.  Songs  instead  of  Sorrow. 

b.  Service  instead  of  Selfishness. 

c.  Solidarity  instead  of  Scattering. 


I.  The  Joy  of  the  Assurance 

"  We  rejoice  in  Hope  of 
the  Glory  of  God." 


II.  The  Responsibility  of  the 
Assurance 

2  Peter  iii. 
i.  "  Holy    Living    and 

Godliness."  ii. 

ii.  "  Looking    for     and 

hastening."  12. 

iii.  "  Give  Diligence."      14. 
i      «  Beware."  17. 

v.  "Grow."  18. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH 

THE  key  to  the  book  of  Zephaniah  is  the 
phrase  "the  day  of  the  Lord."  The 
phrase  is  not  peculiar  to  Zephaniah. 
Most  of  the  prophets  make  use  of  it  in  the  course 
of  their  prophesying.  In  our  study  of  the  per- 
manent value  and  living  message  of  the  prophecy 
of  Joel  we  noticed  that  Joel  used  it  five  times  in 
the  course  of  his  brief  message,  and  by  his  use 
of  it  we  found  that  the  phrase  stands  for  a  per- 
petual method  in  that  activity  of  God  which 
moves  ever  forward  until  at  last  it  accomplishes 
all  His  purpose  in  the  affairs  of  men.  To  him 
the  locust  plague  was  "  the  day  of  the  Lord  "  ; 
the  threatened  invasion  would  be  "the  day  of 
the  Lord "  ;  that  ultimate  procedure  whereby 
God  will  establish  His  rule  in  the  world  will  be 
"  the  day  of  the  Lord." 

Zephaniah  used  this  phrase  more  frequently 
than  any  other  prophet.  It  was  his  burden. 
Consequently  we  find,  as  we  should  expect,  in 

his  prophecy  a  fuller  explanation  of  the  mean- 

289 


290     THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH 

ing  of  the  phrase  than  in  any  other  of  the  Old 
Testament  writings.  The  explanation  of  the 
phrase  is  the  permanent  value  of  this  book  of 
Zephaniah. 

Wherever  we  find  this  phrase  in  any  of  the 
prophets  or  in  the  New  Testament,  it  invariably 
suggests  a  contrast.  Each  prophet  who  uses  it 
does  so  in  a  certain  set  of  circumstances,  in  order 
to  put  such  circumstances  into  contrast  with  that 
which  he  describes  as  "the  day  of  the  Lord." 
The  contrast  is  always  that  between  the  day  of 
man  and  the  day  of  Jehovah. 

Zephaniah  uttered  his  prophecy  in  the  time  of 
Josiah.  A  remarkable  thing  which  has  puzzled 
expositors  is  that  Zephaniah,  whose  prophecy 
opens  with  the  declaration, 

'•  The  word   of  the  Lord  which  came  unto  Zephaniah, 
the  son  of  Cushi,  the  son  of  Gedaliah,  the  son  of  Amariah, 
the   son   of  Hezekiah,  in   the   days   of  Josiah  the  son  of 
Amon,  king  of  Judah," 
c 

never  referred  to  the  reform  under  Josiah.  The 
days  of  Josiah  stand  out,  when  we  study  the  his- 
tory of  the  people,  as  days  of  reform.  I  think 
the  explanation  is  simple.  The  reform  under 
Josiah,  so  far  as  it  affected  the  nation  at  all, 
was  a  reform  brought  about  by  the  popular- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH      291 

ity  of  the  king,  and  not  by  heart  repentance. 
Huldah  the  prophetess  had  declared  that  this 
would  be  so.  Zephaniah  took  no  account  of  the 
reform,  knowing  as  he  did  that  the  hearts  of  the 
people  were  still  in  rebellion  and  in  sin.  Amid 
circumstances  of  rebellion,  sin,  and  corruption,  he 
spoke  of  "  the  day  of  the  Lord." 

The  day  of  man  is  the  day  of  Jehovah's  pa- 
tience. "  The  day  of  the  Lord "  is  the  day  of 
man's  judgment.  Wherever  this  phrase  occurs, 
it  refers  to  God's  judgment,  in  order  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  His  Kingdom.  To  Joel  the  locust 
plague  was  "the  day  of  the  Lord,"  because  it 
was  a  day  of  judgment ;  the  coming  armies  con- 
stituted "the  day  of  the  Lord"  because  their 
coming  was  the  coming  of  God's  judgment  upon 
a  sinning  people.  The  ultimate  "  day  of  the 
Lord,"  according  to  Peter,  is  the  day  in  which 
"the  elements  shall  be  dissolved  with  fervent 
heat,  and  the  earth  and  the  works  that  are 
therein  shall  be  burned  up."  The  day  of  man  is 
the  day  of  God's  patience.  "  The  day  of  the 
Lord  "  is  the  day  when  patience  has  had  her  per- 
fect work  on  the  part  of  God,  and  He  takes  up 
the  sword  of  judgment 

The  permanent  value  of  this  book,  then,  is  its 


292      THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH 

unveiling  of  "  the  day  of  the  Lord."  One  of  the 
most  significant  things  about  the  book  is  that  it 
is  impossible  to  deal  with  it  from  the  standpoint 
of  a  calendar  or  almanac.  It  cannot  be  placed 
historically  beyond  the  introductory  words.  As 
one  reads  it,  the  nations  seemed  to  have  ceased 
to  be ;  all  are  involved  in  one  sweeping  hurricane 
of  judgment.  History  seems  to  be  forgotten. 
"  I  will  utterly  consume  all  things  from  oft  the 
face  of  the  ground "  is  the  first  word.  It  is  a 
picture  of  devastation,  and  kings  as  instruments 
of  judgment  are  no  longer  to  be  found  here.  No 
longer  through  mediation  is  God  dealing  in  judg- 
ment, but  directly,  absolutely,  and  finally.  The 
prophecy  reveals  the  meaning  of  "  the  day  of  the 
Lord  "  in  its  broad  processes,  and  in  its  detailed 
application. 

There  are  three  things  revealed  in  the  reading 
of  the  book.  Let  us  indicate  them  by  three  sim- 
ple and  related  words.  First,  the  content  of 
"  the  day  of  the  Lord."  Secondly,  the  extent  of 
"  the  day  of  the  Lord."  Finally,  the  intent  of 
"  the  day  of  the  Lord." 

According  to  this  prophecy,  what  is  the  con- 
tent of  "  the  day  of  the  Lord  "  ?  That  can  only 
be  answered  by  a  repetition  of  certain  declara- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH      293 

dons  of  the  book.  The  first  of  these  follows  im- 
mediately after  the  first  verse  : — 

"  I  will  utterly  consume  all  things  from  off  the  face  of 
the  ground,  saith  the  Lord.  I  will  consume  man  and 
beast ;  I  will  consume  the  fowls  of  the  heaven,  and  the 
fishes  of  the  sea,  and  the  stumbling-blocks  with  the  wicked; 
and  I  will  cut  off  man  from  off  the  face  of  the  ground, 
saith  the  Lord." 

This  is  a  declaration  that  God  will  visit  this  earth 
in  direct  and  positive  judgment,  using  the  word 
judgment  not  now  in  that  broader  sense,  in  which 
we  often  use  it  as  indicating  administration,  but 
in  the  narrower  sense  of  vengeance,  punishment. 
The  prophet  then  proceeds  to  declare  that  this 
will  be  so  in  spite  of  unbelief : — 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  at  that  time,  that  I  will 
search  Jerusalem  with  candles ;  and  I  will  punish  the  men 
that  are  settled  on  their  lees,  that  say  in  their  heart,  The 
Lord  will  not  do  good,  neither  will  He  do  evil." 

Men  are  saying  that  God  is  neither  doing  good, 
nor  will  He  visit  men  with  judgment  and  scatter- 
ing. Zephaniah  affirms  that  He  will  act  in  hu- 
man history  suddenly,  swiftly,  and  irrevocably 
in  judgment. 

That  is  also  the  teaching  of  Peter  in  his 
second  letter.  It  is  to  be  observed  also  that  Peter 
insists  upon  it  that  God  will  act  in  spite  of  unbelief 


20*     THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH 

Again  the  prophet  declares  that  this  "  day  of 
the  Lord  "  will  be  not  merely  a  day  as  other  days 
have  been  when  God  presses  into  His  service 
the  armies  of  men.  It  will  be  entirely  super- 
Natural  : — 

"The  great  day  of  the  Lord  is  near,  it  is  near  and 
hasteth  greatly,  even  the  voice  of  the  day  of  the  Lord  ;  the 
mighty  man  crieth  there  bitterly.  That  day  is  a  day  of 
wrath,  a  day  of  trouble  and  distress,  a  day  of  wasteness 
and  desolation,  a  day  of  darkness  and  gloominess,  a  day 
of  clouds  and  thick  darkness,  a  day  of  the  trumpet  and 
alarm,  against  the  fenced  cities,  and  against  the  high  bat- 
tlements. And  I  will  bring  distress  upon  men,  that  they 
shall  walk  like  blind  men,  because  they  have  sinned  against 
the  Lord." 

All  these  terms,  descriptive  of  the  day,  suggest 
that  the  judgment  will  be  supernatural.  The 
indefiniteness  of  the  terms  creates  a  sense  of  the 
terribleness  of  the  judgment. 

That,  then,  is  the  message  of  Zephaniah. 
There  is  a  day  when  God  will  come  to  judge  the 
earth,  when  He  will  interfere  in  human  history 
and  end  it ;  a  day  in  which  God  will  come  Him- 
self directly,  supernaturally,  immediately  into  the 
presence  of  human  affairs,  and  that  to  judgment 
The  men  of  Zephaniah's  day  said,  "  The  Lord 
will  not  do  good,  neither  will  He  do  evil."  The 
men  of  Peter's  day  said,  "  Where  is  the  promise 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH      295 

of  His  coming?  For,  from  the  day  that  the 
fathers  fell  asleep,  all  things  continue  as  they 
were  from  the  beginning  of  the  creation."  The 
men  of  our  own  day  are  saying  exactly  the  same 
thing,  that  God  will  never  interfere  in  judgment 
in  this  way.  The  declaration  of  this  book  is  that 
there  is  a  day  of  Jehovah,  a  day  in  the  history  of 
humanity,  when  His  patience  will  be  at  an  end, 
and  when  He  will  bring  to  pass  His  act,  His 
strange  act,  of  judgment. 

This  prophecy  also  declares  the  extent  of  that 
activity.  Judgment  is  to  be  discriminative.  It 
will  be  judgment  upon  sin.  Let  us  repeat  th? 
words  already  quoted,  and  ponder  them : — 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  at  that  time,  that  I  will 
search  Jerusalem  with  candles ;  and  I  will  punish  the  men 
that  are  settled  on  their  lees,  that  say  in  their  heart,  The 
Lord  will  not  do  good,  neither  will  He  do  evil." 

The  last  stages  of  sin  are  luxury  and  indifference. 
"  Men  that  are  settled  on  their  lees  " ;  that  is 
luxury.  Men  who  say,  "  The  Lord  will  not  do 
good,  neither  will  He  do  evil "  ;  that  is  indiffer- 
ence. There  is  the  constantly  recurring  applica- 
tion of  "  the  day  of  the  Lord  "  in  history.  The 
history  of  the  decline  and  fall  of  the  Roman 
Empire  shows  that  the  last  stages  of  sin  before 


296      THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH 

judgment  fell  in  Rome  were  luxury  and  indiffer- 
ence. The  final  stage  of  sin  in  the  history  of 
man  upon  which  the  wrath  of  God  will  fall  will 
be  characterized  by  the  same  things. 

What  is  the  secret  of  luxury  and  indifference  ? 


"  Woe  to  her  that  is  rebellious  and  polluted,  to  the  op- 
pressing city  !  She  obeyed  not  the  voice ;  she  received 
not  correction  ;  she  trusted  not  in  the  Lord ;  she  drew  not 
near  to  her  God." 


Opinions  differ  as  to  whether  the  prophet  in 
these  words  referred  to  Jerusalem  or  to  Nineveh. 
For  our  purpose,  whether  Jerusalem,  Nineveh, 
Rome,  or  London  matters  nothing.  This  is  the 
spirit  upon  which  judgment  falls.  The  last  stage 
of  sin  is  that  of  luxury  and  indifference,  and  the 
spirit  which  issues  in  such  a  condition  is  that  of 
disobedience  to  the  voice  of  God,  refusal  to  re- 
ceive His  correction,  failure  to  put  trust  in  Him, 
and  distance  from  Him. 

The  result  of  such  a  spirit  in  the  life  of  the  city 
is  that  — 


"  Her  princes  in  the  midst  of  her  are  roaring  lions ;  her 
judges  are  evening  wolves  ;  they  leave  nothing  till  the  mor- 
row. Her  prophets  are  light  and  treacherous  persons  :  her 
priests  have  profaned  the  sanctuary,  they  have  done 
violence  to  the  law." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH      297 

The  extent  of  the  judgment  is  that  man  and  all 
he  has  polluted  are  swept  away. 

It  has  been  said  that  this  prophecy  of  Zepha- 
niah  is  peculiarly  desert  and  barren — no  life,  no 
flower,  no  fruit,  none  of  the  beauties  of  nature ; 
nothing  but  a  world  swept  by  a  simoom.  If  this 
is  so,  what  is  the  reason  of  it  ?  Look  at  the  con- 
ditions described.  Men  settled  on  their  lees  in 
luxury,  denying  the  interference  of  God.  A  city 
that  did  not  obey  the  voice,  received  not  correc- 
tion, did  not  trust  in  the  Lord,  did  not  draw  near 
to  God.  Men  and  city  materialized,  self-centred, 
luxurious  ;  the  rulers,  princes,  judges,  prophets, 
and  priests  alike  corrupt.  The  whole  condition 
may  be  expressed  in  the  one  word — chaos. 
What,  then,  is  the  story  of  "the  day  of  the 
Lord  "  ?  That  of  chaos  consumed,  disorder  dis- 
organized, evil  conditions  destroyed,  until  the 
whole  city  appears  before  the  eyes  of  the  as- 
tonished prophet  as  a  simoom-swept  landscape 
with  never  a  blade  of  grass. 

What  is  it  all  for  ?  What  is  the  intent  of  this 
terrible  activity  ?  Read  to  the  end  : — 

"Sing,  O  daughter  of  Zion;  shout,  O  Israel ;  be  glad 
and  rejoice  with  all  the  heart,  O  daughter  of  Jerusalem. 
The  Lord  hath  taken  away  thy  judgments,  He  hath  cast 


298      THE  MESSAGE  CF  ZEPHANIAH 

out  thine  enemy :  The  King  of  Israel,  even  the  Lord,  is 
in  the  midst  of  thee  :  thou  shalt  not  fear  evil  any  more. 
In  that  day  it  shall  be  said  to  Jerusalem,  Fear  thou  not : 
O  Zion,  let  not  thine  hands  be  slack.  The  Lord  thy  God 
is  in  the  midst  of  thee,  a  mighty  One  Who  will  save :  He 
will  rejoice  over  thee  with  joy,  He  will  rest  in  His  love, 
He  will  joy  over  thee  with  singing." 

A  modern  expositor  has  said  that  it  is  perfectly 
patent  that  this  last  chapter  was  not  written  by 
Zephaniah,  because  the  contrast  is  too  great  be- 
tween the  picture  of  the  awful,  sweeping,  irrev- 
ocable judgment,  and  that  of  the  restoration. 
No  one  can  imagine,  he  declares,  that  the  same 
man  wrote  both.  All  of  which  is  the  result  of 
the  expositor's  blindness.  The  last  picture  is 
that  of  the  enthroned  Jehovah,  the  picture  of  a 
new  order ;  songs  instead  of  sorrow,  service  in- 
stead of  selfishness,  solidarity  instead  of  scatter- 
ing. That  is  the  intent  of  judgment.  Its  con- 
tent, God's  immediate,  supernatural  visitation  of 
the  earth  to  destroy  ;  its  extent,  sin  and  its  last 
issues  of  pollution — man  and  everything  he  has 
spoiled ;  the  intent,  the  established  throne  and 
the  new  order,  in  which  God  and  His  Kingdom 
sing  over  each  other.  The  very  contrast  dem- 
onstrates the  unity  of  authorship.  There  was  a 
nan  whose  name  was  John.  We  describe  him 
to-day  as  the  apostle  of  love ;  Jesus  described 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH      299 

him  in  the  early  days  as  tne  son  of  thunder.  In 
his  writings  two  words  are  of  constant  recur- 
rence— commandments  and  love.  It  is  the  man 
who  sees  most  clearly  the  fierceness  of  God's 
wrath  against  sin,  who  sees  most  clearly  through 
all  the  processes  to  the  restoration,  and  therefore 
sings  his  song.  If  I  seek  the  supreme  example 
of  this  principle  of  the  "  day  of  the  Lord,"  I  come 
again  to  the  Man  of  Nazareth,  and  listen  to  the 
word  He  uttered  when  from  the  slopes  of  the 
mountain  He  looked  at  the  city  of  His  love. 
Was  there  ever  such  merging  of  fire  and  tender- 
ness, of  severity  and  goodness,  as  in  His  words, 
"O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  which  killeth  the 
prophets,  and  stoneth  them  that  are  sent  unto 
her!  How  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy 
children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her 
chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not! 
Behold,  your  house  is  left  unto  you  desolate." 
Zephaniah  will  write  of  "  the  day  of  the  Lord " 
as  a  day  of  swift,  fiery  judgment  upon  a  sinning 
earth,  but  he  will  end  with  the  song  that  tells  of 
Jehovah's  singing. 

What  is  the  living  message  of  this  book? 
Zephaniah  teaches  that  it  is  ours  to  rejoice  in 
the  hope  of  the  glory  of  God.  He  called  the 


300      THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH 

men  of  his  own  day  to  sing  for  joy  because  of 
"  the  day  of  the  Lord,"  because  "  the  day  of  the 
Lord "  is  the  day  of  destruction  of  the  things 
that  destroy,  because  "  the  day  of  the  Lord " 
will  be  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  when  songs 
shall  take  the  place  of  sighs,  and  service  shall 
take  the  place  of  selfishness,  and  solidarity  shall 
take  the  place  of  scattering.  Surely  Charles 
Kingsley  had  been  reading  Zephaniah  when  he 
wrote  "  The  Day  of  the  Lord  "  :  — 

"  The  Day  of  the  Lord  is  at  hand,  at  hand  ! 

Its  storms  roll  up  the  sky  : 
The  nations  sleep  starving  on  heaps  of  gold  : 

All  dreamers  toss  and  sigh. 
The  night  is  darkest  before  the  morn  ; 
When  the  pain  is  sorest  the  child  is  born, 
And  the  Day  of  the  Lord  at  hand." 

Mark  the  note  of  triumph  in  the  next  verses :  — 

"  Gather  you,  gather  you,  hounds  of  hell  — 

Famine,  and  Plague,  and  War; 
Idleness,  Bigotry,  Cant  and  Misrule, 

Gather,  and  fall  in  the  snare ! 
Hireling  and  Mammonite,  Bigot  and  Knave, 
Crawl  to  the  battlefield,  sneak  to  your  grave, 
In  the  Day  of  the  Lord  at  hand. 

"  Who  would  sit  down  and  sigh  for  a  lost  age  of  gold 

While  the  Lord  of  all  ages  is  here? 
True  hearts  will  leap  up  at  the   trumpet  of  God, 

And  those  who  can  suffer  can  dare. 
Each  old  age  of  gold  was  an  iron  age  too, 
And  the  meekest  of  saints  may  find  stern  work  to  do 
In  the  Day  of  the  Lord  at  hand.'* 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZEPHANIAH      301 

That  is  sentimental  and  useless  joy  which  finds 
its  reason  in  the  thought  of  escape.  We  need 
to-day  a  renewal  of  the  passion  that  delights  in 
judgment  which  ends  the  things  of  wrong  and 
evil,  and  brings  new  birth  to  the  whole  creation. 

"  Who  would  sit  down  and  sigh  for  a  lost  age  of  gold 
While  the  Lord  of  all  ages  is  here  ?  " 

The  living  message  may  be  expressed  in  the 
words  of  Peter : — 

"  Seeing  that  these  things  are  thus  all  to  be  dissolved, 
what  manner  of  persons  ought  ye  to  be  in  all  holy  living 
and  godliness,  looking  for  and  earnestly  desiring  the 
coming  of  the  day  of  God." 

"  Give  diligence  that  ye  may  be  found  in  peace." 

"  Beware  lest,  being  carried  away  with  the  error  of  the 
wicked,  ye  fall  from  your  own  stedfastness. " 

"  Seeing  that  ye  look  for  these  things  .  .  .  grow  in 
the  grace  and  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HAGGAI 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  A  Revelation  of  the  peculiar  Perils  of  an  Age  of 

Adversity 

L  A  false  Content  They  looked  at  their  Con- 

ditions only. 

ii.  A  false  Discontent.  They  looked  at  their 
Building  in  the  Light 
of  the  Past. 


iii.  A  false  Expectation. 


iv.  A  false  Fear. 


They  looked  at  their  Ad- 
versity in  the  Light  of 
their  Building. 

They  looked  at  their  Po- 
sition in  the  Light  of 
the  Nations. 


II.  A  Declaration  of  the  Duty  of  Men  of  Faith  in  such 
an  Age 

i.  The  Corrective  of  false  Content 

a.  The  Duty.  "  Build." 

b.  The  Dynamic.     "  I  am  with  you  "  (i.  13). 
ii.  The  Corrective  of  false  Discontent. 

i     a.  The  Duty.  "  Be  strong  .  .  .  and  work." 

'      6.  The  Dynamic.     "  I  am  with  you  "  (ii.  4). 
K.  The  Corrective  of  false  Expectation. 

a.  The  Duty.  "  Ask  a  Torah." 

b.  The  Dynamic.     "  I  will  bless  "  (ii.  19). 
iv.  The  Corrective  of  false  Fear. 

a.  The  Duty.  Patience. 

b.  The  Dynamic.     I  will   f  shake. 

I  overthrow. 
1  destroy. 
I  overthrow. 


I.  The  Wickedness  of  wait* 
Ing  for  psychic  Mo- 
ments, set  Times,  is  of 
the  Essence  of  Re- 
bellion 


II.  The  Polly  of  attempting 
to  interpret  the  Pres- 
ent in  the  Terms  ot 
the  Past 

A  better  Thing  is  always 
at  hand. 


III.  The  Paralysis  of  expect* 
Ing  immediate  Result* 

i.  The  Necessity  for  Pa- 
tience. 

ii.  The  Certainty  of  God. 


IV.  The  Sin  of  fearing  op* 
posing  Forces 


The  final  Word. 

"  Be  strong  and  work." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HAGGAI 

HAGGAI  stands  first  in  the  last  group  oi 
the  prophetic  books.  In  common  with 
Zechariah  and  Malachi  it  is  post-exilic. 
In  considering  the  messages  of  these  three  books 
we  find  ourselves  in  new  circumstances  and  in  a 
new  atmosphere.  The  history  of  the  people  was 
at  once  full  of  glory  and  full  of  shame.  It  is 
easy  to  imagine  how  they  felt  as  they  thought  of 
the  ancient  glory  of  the  nation.  Some  amongst 
them  would  be  filled  with  shame  as  they  came 
back  to  their  own  city  and  their  own  country, 
and  found  themselves  without  national  constitu- 
tion and  without  power,  tributary  to  the  Gentiles. 
Their  circumstances  were  those  of  difficulty  and 
discouragement.  Their  hopes  were  of  the  most 
shadowy  and  uncertain  kind. 

These  three  men  prophesied  in  the  midst  of 
such  circumstances.  Haggai  had  one  burden 
upon  his  heart,  that  of  leading  the  people  to 
build  the  temple.  Zechariah  helped  him  in  the 
delivery  of  that  message,  and  then  produced  his 

303 


304         THE  MESSAGE  OF  HAGGAI 

great  apocalypse.  Malachi  uttered  the  final 
mourning  and  warning  to  the  ancient  people  of 
God. 

Let  us  consider  a  little  more  particularly  the 
circumstances  in  which  Haggai  delivered  his 
message.  About  sixteen  years  earlier  the  people 
had  returned  to  their  own  land  under  Zerubbabel, 
and  had  begun  to  build  the  temple  a  year  later. 
They  had  laid  the  foundations,  and  perhaps  the 
first  course  of  stones,  when  the  work  of  building 
was  abandoned  through  Samaritan  opposition. 
For  fifteen  years  nothing  more  was  done.  Then 
Haggai  delivered  his  message  and  exercised  his 
ministry.  He  dealt  with  the  immediate.  He 
was  a  man  of  faith,  whose  one  business  was  that 
of  persuading  the  people  to  do  one  thing.  The 
greater  part  of  his  ministry  consisted  not  of 
public  preaching  but  of  private  application 
thereof.  He  delivered  four  brief  messages,  and 
succeeded  in  persuading  the  people  to  build. 
His  first  message  was  delivered,  and  they  com- 
menced. Then  a  difficulty  arose  and  they  halted. 
He  immediately  delivered  his  second  message, 
and  they  resumed  the  work.  After  a  while 
another  difficulty  arose,  and  again  they  halted. 
He  delivered  his  third  message,  and  on  the  same 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HAGGAI          305 

day  his  fourth  and  last ;  and  the  work  was  com- 
pleted. 

The  permanent  value  of  this  book  is  twofold. 
First,  it  is  a  revelation  of  the  peculiar  perils  of  an 
age  of  adversity ;  and  secondly,  it  is  a  declara- 
tion of  the  duty  of  the  man  of  faith  in  such  an 
age.  Haggai  helps  us  to  see  the  perils  of  the 
hour  when  everything  looks  dark  ;  and  to  under- 
stand the  duty  of  the  man  of  faith  in  such  an 
hour,  and  in  the  presence  of  such  perils. 

There  are  four  perils  indicated  in  the  proph- 
ecy, and  the  four  addresses  deal  with  them  re- 
spectively. First,  the  peril  of  a  false  content. 
Secondly,  the  peril  of  a  false  discontent.  Thirdly, 
the  peril  of  a  false  expectation.  Finally,  the 
peril  of  a  false  fear. 

First,  a  false  content.  As  these  people  looked 
at  the  conditions  in  the  midst  of  which  they 
found  themselves  they  said, 

"It  is  not  the  time  ...  for  the  Lord's  house  to 
be  built." 

Secondly,  a  false  discontent.  After  the  work 
had  commenced  they  looked  at  their  building  in 
the  light  of  the  olden  days,  and  they  said, 

"  Who   is   left   among   you   that  saw  this  house  in  its 


306         THE  MESSAGE  OF  HAGGAI 

former  glory?   and  how  do   ye  see  it  now?   is  it  not  in 
your  eyes  as  nothing  ?  " 

Thirdly,  a  false  expectation.  When  the  build- 
ing had  proceeded  further  they  expected  immedi- 
ate material  results  from  their  moral  reformation. 

Finally,  a  false  fear.  They  were  filled  with  fear 
of  the  nations  by  whom  they  were  surrounded. 

The  first  peril  is  that  of  a  false  content.  These 
people  were  waiting  for  the  psychic  moment  in 
which  to  begin  to  build  the  house  of  God.  They 
said,  The  set  time  is  not  yet  come.  They  ex- 
pected some  manifestation  of  Divine  readiness  to 
help  them.  On  that  side  of  their  life  which  had 
to  do  with  God,  they  were  waiting ;  but  they 
were  busy  building  their  own  houses.  They 
were  only  psychologists  in  the  matter  of  religion. 
They  were  preeminently  practical  when  they  had 
to  do  with  the  places  in  which  they  themselves 
had  to  live. 

The  next  peril  is  that  of  a  false  discontent. 
When  in  obedience  to  the  prophet  they  began  to 
build,  they  looked  at  their  building  in  the  light  of 
the  past,  and  their  outlook  was  entirely  material. 
They  compared  the  poverty  of  the  material  erec- 
tion with  the  glory  of  the  ancient  temple  of 
which  they  had  heard,  and  which  some  of  them 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HAGGAI  307 

had  seen.  The  old  men  amongst  them,  in  child- 
hood's days  had  gazed  upon  the  glory  of  the  past 
temple,  and  they  put  this  new  temple  in  its  ma- 
terial poverty,  into  comparison  with  the  one  of 
old  and  its  material  glory.  The  result  was  that 
they  were  filled  with  discontent,  and  broke  out 
into  lamentation.  That  was  a  note  of  false  dis- 
content. 

The  third  peril  is  that  of  a  false  expectation. 
They  looked  at  their  adversity  in  the  light  of 
their  building.  They  said,  We  have  begun  to 
obey,  and  the  weeks  have  passed  away  and 
grown  into  months,  and  yet  there  is  no  sign 
of  better  conditions.  It  was  autumn  when  we 
began  to  build,  and  now  it  is  winter,  and  there  is 
no  improvement.  Haggai  taught  them  that  it 
was  an  unwarranted  expectation  in  view  of  the  ap- 
palling penetration  of  evil  resulting  from  their  sin. 
Finally,  they  looked  at  the  surrounding  na- 

/  tions,  saw  their  strength  and  the  solidarity  of  the 
opposition,  and  were  filled  with  a  false  fear. 

i  In  each  case  the  prophet  sought  to  counteract 
the  perils  by  declaring  an  immediate  duty,  and 
revealing  an  available  dynamic. 

For  the  correction  of  their  false  content,  he  de- 
clared that  their  immediate  duty  was  to  build. 


308         THE  MESSAGE  OF  HAGGAI 

As  dynamic,  he  gave  them  the  inspiration  of  the 
Divine  declaration,  "  I  am  with  you,  saith  the 
Lord."  The  people  said,  The  time  has  not  yet 
come  to  build.  The  prophet  affirmed,  The  set 
time  has  come,  because  Jehovah  is  with  us. 

For  the  correction  of  the  false  discontent  the 
prophet  declared  that  their  duty  was  to  "be 
strong  .  .  .  and  work."  Again  as  dynamic, 
he  gave  them  the  inspiration  of  the  Divine  word, 
"  I  am  with  you,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts." 

For  the  correction  of  false  expectation  the 
prophet  bade  them  "  Ask  the  priests  concerning 
a  law "  ;  and  there  follows  the  account  of  the 
opinion  given  by  the  priests,  evidently  in  answer 
to  the  appeal.  This  needs  to  be  considered  care- 
fully. They  were  to  ask  not  the  law,  but  for  a 
law.  In  order  to  understand  this  passage  we 
must  go  back  to  Deuteronomy.  There  will  be 
found  instructions  given  to  the  people  that  in 
any  case  of  difficulty,  the  priest  was  to  declare  a 
law,  that  is,  declare  the  principle  involved  in  the 
difficulty.  Here  Haggai  framed  the  enquiry  of 
the  people  in  the  words, 

"  If  one  bear  holy  flesh  in  the  skirt  of  his  garment,  and 
with  his  skirt  do  touch  bread,  or  pottage,  or  wine,  or  oil, 
or  any  meat,  shall  it  become  holy?  And  the  priests  an* 
swered  and  said,  No." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HAGGAI          309 

That  was  the  statement  of  the  law  or  principle, 
and  the  prophet  applied  it  thus.  The  pollution 
of  nature  which  had  resulted  from  their  sin  could 
not  be  immediately  set  right  by  their  reformation 
and  return.  The  lesson  he  drew  from  this  decla- 
ration was  that  of  patience.  There  must  be  re- 
turn and  obedience ;  but  not  eager  anxiety  for 
immediate  material  results.  There  must  be 
return  and  obedience,  although  there  seemed  to 
be  no  immediate  benefit  accruing  therefrom. 

In  spiritual  revival  there  should  be  freedom 
from  anxiety  about  material  results.  That  is  the 
principle.  There  will  be  material  results,  but  the 
inspiration  for  patient  waiting  is  found  in  the 
words,  "  From  this  day  will  I  bless  you."  The 
material  blessing  that  will  follow  will  not  be 
created  by  obedience,  but  will  be  given  as  a 
gracious  act  on  the  part  of  God.  The  people 
said  in  effect :  We  are  giving  God  obedience,  we 
are  building  ;  but  He  is  giving  us  nothing  in  re- 
turn. The  lesson  they  had  to  learn  was  that 
obedience  must  be  without  bargaining.  Yet  the 
prophet  did  not  leave  them  with  that  stern  appli- 
cation of  the  principle ;  he  gave  them  this  word 
out  of  the  heart  of  God,  "  From  this  day  will  I 
bless  vou."  The  blessing  must  come  from  God. 


3io         THE  MESSAGE  OF  HAGGAI 

Men  must  never  imagine  that  by  their  return  and 
obedience  they  have  a  right  to  blessing. 

For  the  correction  of  false  fear  the  prophet  laid 
down  the  duty  of  patience,  and  uttered  for  their 
inspiration  the  great  promises  of  Jehovah.  The 
consciousness  of  the  people  concerning  the 
strength  of  the  enemies  about  them  is  revealed 
in  the  references  to  those  enemies  in  the  promise 
of  deliverance ;  "  the  throne  of  the  kingdoms 
.  .  .  the  strength  of  the  kingdoms  .  .  . 
the  nations  .  .  .  the  chariots,  and  those  that 
ride  in  them  .  .  .  the  horses  and  their 
riders."  These  were  the  forces  of  which  the 
remnant  were  conscious.  Wherever  they  lifted 
their  eyes  they  saw  the  strength  of  the  kingdoms; 
chariots  and  them  that  ride  in  them  ;  horses  and 
their  riders  ;  massed  military  powers  !  There  was 
no  hope  of  deliverance.  All  these  things  filled 
them  with  dull  despair.  There  seemed  to  be  no 
chance  of  their  ever  regaining  national  constitu- 
tion and  power.  The  corrective  of  the  prophet 
was  that  of  his  utterance  of  the  word  of  Jehovah, 
"  I  will  shake  ...  I  will  overthrow  .  .  . 
I  will  destroy  ...  I  will  overthrow."  By 
that  activity  of  Jehovah  there  would  issue  the 
degradation  of  the  strength  they  feared,  and  the 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HAGGAI          311 

disintegration  of  the  forces  which  held  them 
prisoners. 

Let  us  put  the  perils  and  the  corrective  teach- 
ing side  by  side. 

The  people  were  content  to  let  the  temple  re- 
main unbuilt,  saying,  The  set  time  has  not  yet 
come.  The  prophet  bade  them  arise  and  build, 
knowing  that  the  set  time  had  come,  because 
God  was  with  them,  knowing  that 

"  God  is  on  the  field  when  He 
Is  most  invisible." 

The  people  were  filled  with  discontent  as  they 
compared  the  house  as  they  saw  it  in  the  course 
of  building  with  the  glory  of  the  previous  house. 
The  prophet  called  them  to  be  strong  and  to 
work,  because  God  was  with  them  ;  and  therefore 
the  glory  of  the  latter  house  would  be  greater 
than  that  of  the  former,  because  the  method  of 
God  is  always  progressive.  The  former  glory 
was  material,  but  to  the  latter  house  would  come 
the  fulfillment  of  all  things  foreshadowed  in  the 
former. 

The  people  expected  immediate  material  bene- 
fit as  the  result  of  their  moral  reformation.  No, 
said  the  prophet,  you  do  not  know  the  meaning 


312          THE  MESSAGE  OF  HAGGAI 

of  sin,  how  deep  its  pollution  goes,  how  all 
nature  is  affected  by  it.  There  must  be  patient 
waiting  for  God  from  Whom  the  blessing  will 
come  as  a  gift  of  grace,  and  not  as  a  result 
created  by  human  amendment. 

The  people  were  looking  at  enemies,  at  thrones, 
at  chariots,  and  horses,  at  the  military  multitudes, 
and  consequently  they  were  filled  with  fear. 
The  prophet  called  them  to  cease  looking  at  the 
foes  and  to  look  to  God  Who  would  break  the 
power  of  the  surrounding  nations. 

The  living  message  of  the  book  is  patent.  It 
teaches  first  the  wickedness  of  waiting — waiting 
for  the  psychic  moment,  for  the  set  time— is  of  the 
essence  of  rebellion  when  immediate  duty  calls. 
God's  windows  wait  man's  opening. 

"  Bring  ye  the  whole  tithe  into  the  storehouse,  that  there 
may  be  meat  in  Mine  House,  and  prove  Me  now  herewith, 
saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  if  I  will  not  open  you  the  windows 
of  heaven." 

Those  windows  are  never  opened  in  response 
to  sighing  and  crying.  In  that  hour  in  which  we 
bring  the  whole  tithe  into  the  storehouse,  the 
windows  will  be  opened  and  the  blessing  will 
come.  "  Now  is  the  accepted  time,  now  is  the 
day  of  salvation  "  is  a  word  of  constant  applica- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HAGGAI          313 

tion,  and  constitutes  the  true  answer  to  man's 
declaration  that  the  set  time  has  not  come. 

The  next  peril  is  that  of  lamenting  the  past ; 
desiring  an  experience  to-day  like  that  of  the 
past.  In  Wales  men  to-day  are  desiring  to  go 
back  to  the  experiences  of  the  revival.  Christian 
men  are  sighing  after  the  experiences  of  '59. 
Some  sigh  for  a  return  to  apostolic  times,  to  that 
peculiar  manifestation  of  the  Spirit,  necessary  in 
the  first  stage  of  the  Church's  history,  but  un- 
necessary to-day.  It  is  impossible  to  unlock  the 
present  with  the  rusty  key  of  the  past.  The  at- 
tempt to  crowd  the  Spirit  of  God  to-day  into  the 
manifestation  of  the  past  is  of  the  nature  of 
sacrilege.  It  is  utterest  folly  to  attempt  to  in- 
terpret the  present  in  the  terms  of  the  past. 
There  is  always  a  better  thing  at  hand  than  any- 
thing the  past  has  seen  ;  better,  that  is,  for  to-day, 
for  the  present  time.  Many  of  the  ecclesiastical 
quarrels  of  the  Christian  Church  are  due  to  at- 
tempts to  live  in  the  past,  and  the  consequent 
failure  to  recognize  the  living  presence  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  and  the  fact  that  in  one  age  He 
must  use  one  method  and  in  another  age  an  en- 
tirely different  one.  In  the  gift  of  the  Spirit  we 
have  the  charm  and  value  of  perpetually  chang- 


314         THE  MESSAGE  OF  HAGGAI 

ing  methods.  The  simplicity,  the  commonplace, 
the  dullness  of  the  present  hour,  may  be  of  the 
very  essence  of  God's  method.  Let  us  get  to 
work.  The  word  of  God  to  us  also  is,  "  Be 
strong  .  .  .  and  work." 

Again,  we  need  to  be  reminded  that  there  is  a 
grave  peril  in  expecting  immediate  material  re- 
sults. Those  who  serve  in  spiritual  things  in  a 
world  permeated  with  the  virus  of  sin  need 
great  patience.  That  was  a  wonderful  vision  of 
Isaiah  in  which  he  saw  that  the  poison  of  human 
sin  had  permeated  the  very  earth,  and  that  the 
only  way  in  which  God  could  get  it  out  was  by 
burning,  smiting,  and  destruction.  We  must  be 
content  to  do  our  best  work  with  perhaps  but  lit- 
tle result  that  can  be  tabulated. 

Finally,  we  need  the  message  of  this  book  for 
the  correction  of  our  fear.  Do  we  not  still  hear 
men  of  faith  saying,  Those  that  are  against  us 
are  mighty  and  strong?  What  we  supremely 
need  is  a  new  vision  of  God,  a  new  understand- 
ing of  the  fact  that  He  will  overthrow  the  thrones, 
and  the  kingdoms,  and  break  their  strength,  and 
finally  set  up  His  government  in  the  earth. 

We  may  summarize  the  whole  message  of 
Haggai  in  one  brief  word  of  his  second  proph- 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  HAGGAI          315 

ecy,  "  Be  strong  .  .  .  and  work."  If  we  do 
that,  we  may  leave  the  issues  with  God ;  but  we 
have  no  right  to  leave  the  issues  with  God  unless 
we  work.  The  initial 'sin  was  that  of  waiting  for 
the  psychic  moment.  When  we  are  strong  and 
work,  then  we  may  be,  and  shall  be  delivered 
from  all  anxiety  about  the  ultimate,  knowing 
that  He  will  bless,  and  accomplish,  and  perfect 
It  should  be  the  highest  honour  of  life,  its  crown- 
ing glory,  and  its  chief  joy  in  the  midst  of  the 
ages,  to  have  done  one  day's  work  with  God. 

"  Yet  will  I  live  my  life, 

Dim  though  its  mystery  be, 
Not  wholly  lost  to  sense,  nor  yet 
Absorbed  in  what  I  see. 

"For  me — to  have  made  one  soul 

The  better  for  my  birth : 
To  have  added  but  one  flower 
To  the  garden  of  the  earth : 

"  To  have  struck  one  blow  for  truth 

In  the  daily  fight  with  lies : 
To  have  done  one  deed  of  right 
In  the  face  of  calumnies : 

"  To  have  sown  in  the  souls  of  men 
One  thought  that  will  not  die — 
To  have  been  a  link  in  the  chain  of  life : 
Shall  be  immortality." 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUE 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  Its  fundamental  Revelation  of  the  pervasive  Power 

and  persistent  Purpose  of  Jehovah 
L  The  suggestive  Title.     "  The  Lord  of  Hosts." 

a.  Its  History  and  Meaning. 

1.  History. 

a.  Born  with  the  Monarchy.     I  Sam.  i.  3 

and  ii. 

6.  Not  prevalent  during  the  Period. 
f.  The  prophetic  Name. 

2.  Meaning. 

a.  Stars.     ") 

b.  Angels.  \  Sovereignty. 

c.  Israel.    J 

b.  Its  introductory  Grouping.       i.  3. 

1.  The  Will  made  known.      i.  6. 

2.  The  Way  provided.  iii.  8. 

3.  The  Work  accomplished,    iv.  6. 
ii.  The  pervasive  Power. 

a.  The  Visions. 

b.  The  Oracles. 

Iii.  The  persistent  Purpose. 

a.  The  Principle  illustrated  by  the  Visions. 

b.  The  Principle  illustrated  by  the  Oracles. 

II.  The  resultant  Revelation  of  the  true  Attitude  and 

Activity  of  His  People  under  all  Circumstances. 

(  Hearken. 
L  The  suggestive  first  Word.  -I  Return. 

(  See  and  Obey, 
ii.  The  Attitude,     (vii.,  viii.) 

a.  Look  back,  and  know  your  Sin. 

b.  Look  on,  and  see  God's  Purpose. 
fiL  The  Activity. 

a.  Build  the  House. 

b.  Abolish  the  human  Fasts. 

c.  Keep  the  Divine  Feasts. 


I.  A  Revelation  of  the  Se- 
cret of  Strength 
"  While  we  look  .  .  ." 

2  Cor.  iv.  17. 
i.  The  Secret  of  Strength  is 

Vision. 

ii.  The  Proof  of  Vision  is 
Strength. 


II.  An  Appeal  to  be  Strong 
Heb.  xii.  12,  13. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH 

THIS  is  the  second  of  the  three  prophetic 
books  which  are  undoubtedly  post-ex- 
ilic ;  consisting  as  they  do  of  messages 
delivered  to  the  people  after  their  return  from 
captivity.  The  relation  of  Zechariah  to  Haggai 
we  recognized  in  our  study  of  the  latter  book. 
The  atmosphere  is  the  same.  The  people  to 
whom  Zechariah  delivered  his  message  were 
looking  back,  and  were  conscious  of  a  history 
which  was  at  once  glorious  and  shameful.  The 
history  of  God's  dealing  with  them  was  full  of 
glory.  The  history  of  their  dealing  with  God 
was  full  of  shame.  The  immediate  outlook  was 
one  of  difficulty  and  discouragement.  The  hope 
of  the  nation  was  practically  extinguished. 
Hemmed  in  by  opposing  forces,  without  national 
constitution  or  power,  it  certainly  must  have 
seemed  to  that  feeble  remnant  that  there  was 
very  little  hope  in  the  future.  The  peculiar 
value  of  the  teaching  of  Zechariah  was  that  it 
was  calculated  to  inspire  hope  in  the  heart  of  the 
discouraged  people. 

317 


3i 8      THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH 

The  first  message  of  Zechariah  was  delivered 
between  two  messages  of  Haggai,  so  that  the 
first  phase  of  his  ministry  was  one  of  actual  and 
immediate  cooperation  with  Haggai.  In  that 
first  message  the  one  burden  upon  the  heart  of 
the  prophet  was  that  of  urging  the  people  to 
obey  the  message  of  his  co-worker,  and  to  build 
the  house  of  God.  Following  the  first  simple 
message,  we  have  the  visions  of  the  prophet ; 
not  easy  of  exposition,  but  flaming  with  light, 
singing  in  hope,  and  resonant  in  confidence. 
Finally,  we  have  those  messages  in  which,  in  lan- 
guage as  stately  as  any  to  be  found  in  the  pro- 
phetic books,  and  with  somewhat  more  of  detail, 
there  is  presented  the  portrait  of  the  great  De- 
liverer-King, Who  through  suffering  comes  to 
crowning.  The  principal  value  of  such  message 
was  that  of  filling  the  heart  with  hope,  even  in 
the  days' of  darkness  and  of  hopelessness. 

The  burden  of  Zechariah  was  that  of  the  per- 
vasive power  and  the  persistent  purpose  of  Jeho- 
vah. The  book  has  been  accurately  described 
as  the  apocalypse  of  the  Old  Testament.  An 
apocalypse  is  the  removal  of  something  that 
hides ;  an  unveiling. 

Zechariah   was  the   great  unveiler,  the  man 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH      319 

through  whose  message  the  people  were  enabled 
to  see  things  which,  while  actual,  were  neverthe- 
less obscured  by  the  prevalent  conditions  of 
adversity. 

Our  observation  is  limited  to  the  sight  of  the 
eyes  and  the  hearing  of  the  ears.  The  peculiai 
peril  of  the  day  of  adversity  is  that  therein  men 
are  in  danger  of  seeing  only  the  things  that  are 
near.  The  apocalypse  provides  visions  and 
voices ;  visions  through  the  near  to  the  distant, 
voices  from  the  distant  calling  to  the  near. 
These  men  were  looking  at  the  near ;  Zechariah 
bade  them  look  through  to  the  things  beyond. 
They  were  looking  at  the  narrow  circumstances ; 
Zechariah  called  them  to  the  wider  circumstances 
of  the  Divine  government  and  activity. 

The  permanent  values  of  Zechariah  then  are : 
first,  its  fundamental  revelation  of  the  pervasive 
power  and  persistent  purpose  of  Jehovah  ;  and 
secondly,  its  resultant  revelation  of  the  true 
attitude  and  activity  of  the  people  of  God  in  all 
circumstances. 

As  to  the  first  of  these  permanent  values,  let  us 
look  at  the  opening  paragraph, 

"  In  the  eighth  month,  in  the  second  year  of  Darius,  came 
the  word  of  the  Lord  unto  Zechariah  the  son  of  Berechiah, 


320     THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH 

the  son  of  Iddo,  the  prophet,  saying,  The  Lord  hath  been 
sore  displeased  with  your  fathers.  Therefore  say  thou 
unto  them,  Thus  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts:  Return  unto  Me, 
saith  Jehovah  of  hosts,  and  I  will  return  unto  you,  saith 
Jehovah  of  hosts." 

His  one  inclusive  appeal  is  contained  in  the 
words, 

"  Thus  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts  :  Return  unto  Me,  saith 
Jehovah  of  hosts,  and  I  will  return  unto  you,  saith  Jehovah 
of  hosts." 


Everything  which  follows  is  by  way  of  applica- 
tion and  illustration. 

Notice  first  very  carefully  the  suggestive  title 
thrice  repeated,  "Jehovah  of  hosts,"  as  to  its 
history  and  its  meaning.  Think  of  its  history. 
You  cannot  find  it  in  Genesis;  it  does  not  occur 
in  Exodus  ;  it  is  absent  from  Leviticus  ;  it  is  to  be 
discovered  neither  in  Numbers  nor  Deuteronomy. 
You  never  find  it  in  the  Pentateuch.  You  may 
go  still  further  and  you  will  not  find  it  in  the 
book  of  Joshua  or  the  book  of  Judges.  Then 
you  come  to  the  first  book  of  Samuel,  which  is 
the  book  of  transition  from  the  Theocratic  to  the 
monarchic  form  of  government,  the  story  of  how 
these  people  turned  from  God  to  a  human  govern- 
ment. In  that  book  the  title  first  occurs.  The 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH      321 

phrase  was  born  with  the  monarchy.  On  the 
human  side,  as  Perowne  suggests,  it  was  the  re- 
sult of  the  people's  new  thought  of  massed  and 
marshalled  armies.  We  are  principally  interested 
in  the  significance  it  gathered  in  the  process  of 
the  years.  In  the  historic  books  it  very  rarely 
occurs ;  but  in  the  prophetic  literature  it  is  the 
constantly  recurring  title  of  Jehovah.  Isaiah 
repeatedly  employed  it.  Jeremiah  used  it  more 
often  than  did  Isaiah.  Zechariah  used  it  more 
frequently  than  any  other  prophet.  Fifty-three 
times  at  least  does  this  majestic  and  wonderful 
title  appear  upon  the  pages  of  this  brief  prophecy 
of  fourteen  chapters.  In  order  to  an  understand- 
ing of  the  suggestiveness  of  the  title  we  should 
need  a  careful  examination  of  the  prophetic  use 
of  it ;  not  merely  a  study  of  the  actual  words,  but 
of  the  place  in  which  we  find  them  in  our  Bible. 
Let  three  very  simple  thoughts  suffice.  The 
word  hosts  is  used  of  stars,  of  angels,  of  the 
nation  of  Israel,  of  the  armies  of  other  nations. 
The  significance  of  this  fact  is  that  whatever  the 
title  meant  when  it  was  first  employed,  it  came 
ultimately  to  mean  that  Jehovah  is  sovereign 
Lord  and  Master  of  the  universe.  In  the  pro- 
phetic use  of  it  is  suggested,  not  the  sovereignty 


322     THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH 

of  Jehovah  in  the  abstract  merely,  but  that  sov- 
ereignty in  activity.  The  prophet  saw  Jehovah 
marshalling  all  hosts — of  stars,  of  angels,  and  of 
men.  Zechariah  lived  in  a  day  when  Israel  had 
lost  its  army,  its  power,  and  its  organization  ; 
and  he  constantly  spoke  of  Jehovah  of  hosts, 
thus  reminding  the  people  of  the  abiding  and 
active  sovereignty  of  Jehovah.  The  threefold 
use  of  the  title  in  the  opening  paragraph  of 
Zechariah  speaks  of  that  fact  of  sovereignty  to 
the  conditions  in  the  midst  of  which  the  people 
found  themselves. 

"  Thua  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts." 

The  declaration  first  suggests  that  the  will  of 
God  is  made  known  to  His  people.  That  is 
further  illustrated  by  what  follows. 

"Be  ye  not  as  your  fathers,  unto  whom  the  former 
prophets  cried,  saying,  Thus  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts,  Return 
ye  now  from  your  evil  doings  :  but  they  did  not  hear,  nor 
hearken  unto  Me,  saith  Jehovah. ' ' 

The  main  value  of  that  reference  to  the  past  is 
its  insistence  upon  the  fact  that  God  has  spoken 
His  will  to  His  people.  That  is  His  perpetual 
method,  He  speaks.  He  makes  known  His  will 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH      323 

The  prophet  insists  upon  it  that  He  continues 
that  method.  That  is  the  first  part  of  the  pro- 
phetic burden. 

"  Return  unto  Me." 

That  is  the  second  value  of  the  prophetic  mes- 
sage. Jehovah  calls  His  people  back,  and  pro- 
vides a  way  for  their  return.  In  the  subsequent 
vision  of  Joshua,  the  high  priest,  confronted  by 
Satan  the  adversary,  the  title  is  linked  to  the 
great  announcement. 

"  Thus  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts  .  .  .  Hear  now,  O 
Joshua  the  high  priest,  thou  and  thy  fellows  that  sit  before 
thee  ;  for  they  are  men  which  are  a  sign  :  for,  behold,  I  will 
bring  forth  My  Servant  the  Branch." 

Thus  the  way  back  to  God  is  provided. 
"  I  will  return  unto  you." 

That  is  the  third  value  of  the  message.  Je- 
hovah promises  to  return  to  His  people,  and  He 
accomplishes  the  work  which  makes  this  return 
possible. 

"  Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  My  Spirit,  saith 
Jehovah  of  hosts." 

The  power  necessary  for  the  restoration  of 
order  will  be  provided  by  the  coming  of  God  to 
His  people,  by  His  Holy  Spirit 


324     THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH 

These  are  only  the  key-phrases,  but  around 
them  the  whole  system  of  the  prophet's  thinking 
was  grouped.  His  conviction  was  threefold  ; 
Jehovah  reveals  His  will ;  Jehovah  calls  men 
back  to  Himself,  and  provides  the  way  for  their 
coming  ;  Jehovah  promises  that  if  they  will  re- 
turn, He  will  return  to  them,  and  He  does  so  in 
the  power  and  might  of  His  own  Holy  Spirit.  I 
am  not  prepared  for  one  single  moment  to  affirm 
that  Zechariah  apprehended  the  great  doctrine  of 
the  Trinity,  or  those  of  our  evangelical  faith  ;  but 
all  are  to  be  found  potentially  in  his  words.  Je- 
hovah of  hosts  speaks  ;  it  is  the  perpetual  method 
of  God  with  men,  that  of  making  known  His 
will.  Jehovah  of  hosts  calls  men  to  return  ;  and 
in  the  mystery  of  that  Branch — Whose  nature  is 
dealt  with  later  on  in  the  prophecy,  and  Whose 
history  is  written  in  the  last  movement — He 
makes  the  way  of  return.  Jehovah  of  hosts 
declares  that  if  men  will  return  to  Him,  He  will 
return  to  them,  and  this  He  does  by  the  coming 
of  the  Spirit.  All  this  teaching  was  inclusively 
an  unveiling  first,  of  the  pervasive  power  of  God  ; 
and  secondly,  of  the  persistent  purpose  of  God. 

The  pervasive  power  of  Jehovah  is  illustrated 
by  the  visions  and  by  the  oracles.  This  is  seen 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH      324 

when  we  take  each  one  in  separation,  and  alloi* 
it  to  make  its  own  impression  upon  the  mind 
In  every  case  certain  conditions  are  described 
and  side  by  side  with  the  conditions,  facts  are 
declared  which  the  average  man  cannot  see. 

The  first  vision  is  that  of  the  shady  place  ;  and 
also  of  the  Watcher,  the  angel  of  Jehovah.  The 
people  were  conscious  of  the  shady  place ;  but 
they  were  not  conscious  of  the  Watcher.  He 
was  unveiled. 

The  second  vision  is  that  of  the  opposing 
forces  and  the  weapons  being  formed  against  the 
people  of  God ;  and  also  of  the  forces  for  the 
destruction  of  the  opposing  forces.  The  people 
were  conscious  of  the  weapons  formed  against 
them ;  but  not  of  the  forces  for  the  destruction  of 
those  weapons.  These  were  unveiled. 

The  third  vision  is  that  of  a  city,  and  a  young 
man  so  interested  therein  that  he  desired  to 
measure  it ;  and  also  of  the  fact  that  the  new 
city  had  no  walls,  for  two  reasons  ;  first,  because 
it  is  too  great  to  be  included  by  walls,  and 
secondly,  because  it  does  not  need  the  defense 
of  walls  by  reason  of  the  defense  of  Jehovah. 
The  people  were  conscious  of  the  city  and  of  its 
imperfections,  but  they  were  not  conscious  of  the 


326     THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH 

splendour  of  the  city  that  is  to  be.  This  was  un- 
veiled. 

The  fourth  vision  is  that  of  the  adversary ; 
and  also  of  the  Advocate.  The  people  were 
conscious  of  the  adversary ;  but  they  were 
not  conscious  of  the  Advocate.  He  was  un- 
veiled. 

The  fifth  vision  is  that  of  responsibility,  the 
candlestick  and  the  light  shining  in  the  dark 
places ;  and  also  a  vision  of  resource,  the  oil  and 
the  perpetual  supply.  The  people  were  con- 
scious of  the  responsibility,  but  not  of  the  resource. 
That  was  unveiled. 

The  sixth  vision  is  that  of  the  presence  of  evil ; 
and  also  of  the  practice  and  application  of  law. 
The  people  were  conscious  of  the  presence  of 
evil ;  but  not  of  the  administration  of  law.  That 
was  unveiled. 

The  seventh  vision  is  that  of  the  pollution  of 
commerce  ;  and  also  of  the  restriction  of  the  area 
of  its  influence.  The  people  were  conscious  of 
the  pollution ;  but  not  of  the  restriction.  That 
was  unveiled. 

The  eighth  vision  is  that  of  the  need  of  ad- 
ministration ;  and  also  of  the  spirit  of  govern- 
ment, the  horsemen  from  the  mountains  of  brass 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH      327 

riding  through  the  world  for  the  establishment 
of  order.  The  people  were  conscious  of  the 
need  of  administration  ;  but  were  not  conscious 
of  the  spirit  of  government.  That  was  unveiled. 

Thus,  under  all  circumstances,  the  prophet  was 
conscious  of  the  presence  and  activity  of  Jehovah 
of  hosts.  Jehovah  the  becoming  One,  the  One 
Who  becomes  exactly  what  His  people  need  in 
any  and  every  hour  of  need.  Are  they  in  the 
shady  place  ?  He  is  the  Watcher.  Are  weapons 
being  formed  against  them  ?  He  is  the  destruc- 
tive force  that  breaks  the  weapons.  Is  the  new 
city  being  built  ?  He  is  its  defense.  Is  the  ad- 
versary unmasked  ?  He  is  the  Advocate.  Is  the 
responsibility  heavy  ?  He  is  sufficient  resource. 
Is  evil  present  everywhere  ?  He  gives  the  law 
to  which  evil  must  bow.  Is  commerce  polluted  ? 
He  restricts  the  area.  Is  there  need  of  adminis- 
tration ?  He  sends  forth  riders  upon  horses  from 
mountains  of  brass.  This  man  in  the  midst  of 
the  difficulty,  disappointment,  and  desolation  of 
his  day,  saw  Jehovah  everywhere. 

The  oracles  teach  the  same  lesson.  The 
anointed  King  is  rejected,  but  the  book  does  not 
end  with  that  story.  The  rejected  King  is  en- 
throned by  the  pervasive  power  of  Jehovah. 


328      THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH 

The  persistent  purpose  of  Jehovah  is  illus- 
trated by  the  same  visions  and  oracles.  This  is 
seen  when  they  are  considered,  not  in  separation, 
but  in  sequence.  Here  I  am  compelled  to  touch 
upon  controversial  ground  in  the  matter  of  inter- 
pretation. I  hold  that  the  vision  of  the  myrtle 
trees  is  the  vision  of  the  present  hour,  so  far  as 
Israel  is  concerned,  and  that  all  the  succeeding 
visions  are  yet  unfulfilled.  Israel  has  been  in  the 
shady  place  for  over  two  millenniums.  During 
all  the  period  the  Watcher  is  with  her.  Beyond 
the  day  of  adversity,  the  day  of  trouble,  will 
come  the  hour  when  Israel's  enemies  will  be  de- 
feated. Then  Jerusalem  will  be  rebuilt  Israel, 
as  the  servant  of  God,  will  be  cleansed  from  filthi- 
ness.  Then  she  will  fulfill  her  function  in  the 
world  as  the  great  light-bearer.  Under  those 
conditions  the  law  will  go  forth  from  Jerusalem 
for  the  government  of  the  world.  Then  Babylon 
will  be  held  in  check.  Finally  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven  will  be  established  on  earth,  when  the 
riders  upon  horses  will  proceed  from  the  moun- 
tains of  brass,  and  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  en- 
compass the  world. 

All  this  reveals  the  persistent  purpose  of  Jeho- 
vah, whereby,  in  spite  of  human  failure,  and  all 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH      329 

opposition  of  men  or  demons,  He  moves  on 
towards  the  final  goal. 

The  same  principle  is  illustrated  by  the  oracles. 
The  Advent  of  rejection  prepares  for  the  Advent 
of  coronation.  The  Advent  of  coronation  per- 
fects the  Advent  of  rejection. 

This  prophecy,  then,  reveals  the  true  attitude 
and  activity  of  the  people  of  God  in  days  of  dark- 
ness and  of  difficulty. 

"  Thus  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts." 

What  is  the  attitude  of  the  people  of  God  in 
the  presence  of  that  declaration  ?  That  of  atten- 
tion. 

"Return  unto  Me,  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts,  and  I  will  re- 
turn unto  you,  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts." 

What  is  the  attitude  of  the  people  of  God  in 
the  presence  of  that  promise?  To  believe  it, 
obey  it,  and  work  in  the  power  of  it. 

The  great  burden  of  the  prophet  to  the  men  of 
his  own  age  was  that  they  were  to  build  the  house 
of  God  even  though  it  was  a  day  of  darkness  and 
disappointment ;  that  they  were  to  abolish  their 
fasts  by  removing  the  cause  for  them,  to  have 
done  with  them  by  getting  rid  of  the  sin  which 
occasioned  them. 


330     THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH 

However  diversified  our  opinions  may  be  as 
to  the  interpretation  of  the  details  of  this  book, 
its  spirit  speaks  with  no  uncertain  sound. 

There  can  be  no  mistaking  its  living  message. 
If  the  final  charge  of  Haggai  is  "  Be  strong  .  .  . 
and  work,"  the  supreme  message  of  Zechariah  is 
its  revelation  of  the  secret  of  strength. 

When  Paul  was  feeling  the  difficulties  and  dis- 
couragements of  the  Christian  ministry,  he  wrote, 


"  We  faint  not;  but  though  our  outward  man  is  decay- 
ing, yet  our  inward  man  is  renewed  day  by  day.  For  our 
light  affliction,  which  is  for  the  moment,  worketh  for  us 
more  and  more  exceedingly  an  eternal  weight  of  glory ; 
while  we  look  not  at  the  things  which  are  seen,  but  at  the 
things  which  are  not  seen :  for  the  things  which  are  seen  are 
temporal ;  but  the  things  which  are  not  seen  are  eternal. ' ' 


That  is  the  message  of  Zechariah  in  New  Tes- 
tament terms. 

"  While  we  look  not  at  the  things  which  are 
seen."  Haggai  said,  "  Be  strong  .  .  .  and 
work."  Zechariah  said,  You  will  only  be  strong 
as  you  see  the  things  that  are  not  seen,  the 
heavenly  visions,  and  hear  the  things  that  are 
never  heard,  the  heavenly  voices.  While  we  look 
at,  and  while  we  listen  to  the  unseen  things  and 
the  unheard  things,  we  do  our  best  work. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH     331 

The  proof  of  vision  is  strength.  You  tell  me 
these  days  are  dark  days.  So  they  are.  But  let 
us  look  not  only  at  the  things  seen,  but  also  at 
the  things  unseen.  See  the  shady  place  if  you 
will,  but  see  also  the  angel  of  Jehovah  watching. 
See  clearly  the  horns  that  are  being  prepared 
for  the  destruction  of  the  purposes  of  God,  but 
see  also  the  smiths  that  will  destroy  the  horns. 
See  the  unseen.  The  secret  of  strength  is  vision. 
The  proof  of  vision  is  strength.  If  men  declare 
that  they  see  these  things  and  believe  these 
things,  and  still  do  nothing,  I  cannot  believe 
what  they  declare.  Their  sight  is  borrowed 
sight.  They  have  been  looking  at  a  picture  and 
not  at  the  living  fact.  The  man  who  sees  the 
unseen  is  the  man  who  grips  the  seen  and 
masters  it.  The  man  who  is  conscious  through 
all  the  appalling  defeat  of  the  hour,  of  the  imme- 
diate, pervasive  presence  and  power  of  God,  is 
the  man  who  gets  hold  of  the  piece  of  desolation 
nearest  to  him,  and  wrestles  with  it  until  it 
blossoms  like  the  rose.  The  demonstration  of 
vision  is  the  strength  with  which  men  take  hold 
of  the  difficulty  of  the  present  hour.  I  turn  once 
again  to  the  New  Testament  for  the  word  which 
reveals  the  thought  that  was  in  the  heart  of  the 


332     THE  MESSAGE  OF  ZECHARIAH 

prophet,  and  which  inspired  him  as  he  saw  the 
visions  fulfilled. 

"  Wherefore  lift  up  the  hands  that  hang  down,  and  the 
palsied  knees ;  and  make  straight  paths  for  your  feet,  that 
that  which  is  lame  be  not  turned  out  of  the  way,  but 
rather  be  healed." 

I  am  very  much  afraid  that  there  are  those 
who  think  it  to  be  a  sign  of  true  sanctification  to 
have  hands  hanging  down,  and  palsied  knees ; 
that  the  measure  of  sanctification  is  the  measure 
of  pessimism;  that  the  measure  in  which  men 
are  really  spiritual  is  the  measure  in  which  they 
waste  their  breath  deploring  the  difficulties  of 
the  hour. 

Though  there  be  darkness  to-day,  if  we  see 
Jehovah,  know  His  Presence,  and  fall  in  line  with 
His  power,  it  is  ours  to  be  sure  of  the  consumma- 
tion, and  to  hasten  it  To  see  God  here  and  now, 
and  to  fall  in  line  with  Him,  is  to  be  perfectly 
certain  that  presently  when  the  Rejected  is  the 
Crowned,  we  shall  share  in  the  triumph,  as  we 
have  shared  in  the  travail 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI 


THE  PERMANENT  VALUES 


B 
THE  LIVING  MESSAGE 


I.  A  Revelation  of  the  unfailing  Love  of  Jehovah 

i.  The  Constancy  of  Love. 

a.  The  opening  Statement,     i.  2a. 

b.  The  Persistence. 

ii.  The  Consciousness  of  Love, 
iii.  The  Courage  of  Love. 

II.  A  Revelation  of  human  Failure 

i.  The  Secret. 

Failure   of  all   Motives  other  than  Love  to 

maintain  true  Relationships  to  God. 
ii.  The  Manifestation. 

The  Death  of  Love  issuing  in  Callousness, 
iii.  The  Issue  of  Failure. 

The  Worthlessness  of  Form  without  Power. 

III.  A  Revelation  of  the  Secrets  of  Strength  in  an  Age 

of  Failure 

i.  Values.  "  The  Name  "  thought  upon, 

ii.  Occupation.  Fellowship. 

iii.  Hope.  The  coming  One. 


I.  The  Present  Position  of 
Christendom  por- 
trayed in  Malachi 

The  Difference  between 
the  Church  and  Chris- 
tendom. 

II.  The  final  Message  is  the 
same 

The  coming  One,  as  a 
Sun. 
Healing. 
Burning. 


HI.  Our  Attitude  towards 
that  Word  the  su- 
preme Test  of  our 
Position 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI 

THIS  is  the  last  of  the  prophetic  utter- 
ances before  the  coming  of  the  Messiah. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  message 
of  Malachi  must  be  interpreted  in  the  light  of  the 
work  of  Nehemiah.  While  it  is  true  that  in  the 
book  of  Nehemiah,  Malachi  is  never  mentioned, 
it  is  quite  evident  that  the  conditions  revealed  in 
that  book  were  practically  the  same  as  those 
with  which  Malachi  had  to  deal.  Let  us  turn 
back  to  the  book  of  Nehemiah  in  order  that  we 
may  compare  three  passages  therefrom  with 
three  from  Malachi. 

Nehemiah  xiii.  29. 

"  Remember  them,  O  my  God,  because  they  have 
defiled  the  priesthood,  and  the  covenant  of  the  priesthood, 
and  the  Levites." 

Malachi  ii.  8. 

"  Ye  are  turned  aside  out  of  the  way  ;  ye  have  caused 
many  to  stumble  in  the  law  ;  ye  have  corrupted  the  cove- 
nant of  Levi,  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts." 

Nehemiah  xiii.  23-25. 

"  In  those  days  also  saw  I  the  Jews  that  had  married 
women  of  Ashdod,  of  Ammon,  and  of  Moab  :  and  their 

335 


336        THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI 

children  spake  half  in  the  speech  of  Ashdod,  and  could  not 
speak  in  the  Jews'  language,  but  according  to  the  lan- 
guage of  each  people.  And  I  contended  with  them,  and 
cursed  them,  and  smote  certain  of  them,  and  plucked  off 
their  hair,  and  made  them  swear  by  God,  saying,  Ye  shall 
not  give  your  daughters  unto  their  sons,  nor  take  their 
daughters  for  your  sons,  or  for  yourselves." 

Malachi  ii.  u,  12. 

"Judah  hath  dealt  treacherously,  and  an  abomination 
is  committed  in  Israel  and  in  Jerusalem ;  for  Judah  hath 
profaned  the  holiness  of  the  Lord  which  He  loveth,  and 
hath  married  the  daughter  of  a  strange  God.  The  Lord 
will  cut  off  to  the  man  that  doeth  this  him  that  waketh  and 
him  that  answereth,  out  of  the  tents  of  Jacob,  and  him 
that  offereth  an  offering  unto  the  Lord  of  hosts." 

Nehemiah  xiii.  10,  na. 

"  I  perceived  that  the  portions  of  the  Levites  had  not 
been  given  them  j  so  that  the  Levites  and  the  singers  that 
did  the  work,  were  fled  every  one  to  his  field.  Then  con- 
tended I  with  the  rulers,  and  said,  Why  is  the  house  of 
God  forsaken  ?  " 

Malachi  Hi.  8-10. 

"  Will  a  man  rob  God  ?  yet  ye  rob  Me.  But  ye  say, 
Wherein  have  we  robbed  Thee  ?  In  tithes  and  offerings. 
Ye  are  cursed  with  the  curse ;  for  ye  rob  Me,  even  this 
whole  nation.  Bring  ye  the  whole  tithe  into  the  store- 
house, that  there  may  be  meat  in  Mine  house,  and  prove 
Me  now  herewith,  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts,  if  I  will  not  open 
the  windows  of  heaven,  and  pour  you  out  a  blessing,  that 
there  shall  not  be  room  enough  to  receive  it." 

The  reading  of  these  passages  is  quite  suffi- 
cient to  show  that  the  general  conditions  de- 
scribed at  the  close  of  the  book  of  Nehemiah 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI        337 

were  identical  with  the  conditions  to  which  Mal- 
achi's  message  was  addressed.  Nehemiah  de- 
plored the  denied  and  corrupted  priesthood. 
Malachi's  central  charge  was  that  the  priesthood 
had  corrupted  the  covenant.  Nehemiah  dealt 
with  the  mixed  marriages  and  the  evil  resulting 
therefrom.  Malachi's  message  was  directed 
against  the  same  evil  which  was  cursing  the 
people.  Nehemiah  charged  the  people  with 
neglecting  to  bring  the  tithe  into  the  store-i 
house  and  so  making  it  necessary  for  the  Levites 
to  turn  from  the  service  of  the  house  of  God  to 
earn  their  own  living  upon  the  soil.  Malachi 
uttered  a  complaint  in  the  presence  of  the  same 
neglect,  there  being  a  deeper  spiritual  note  in 
his  word,  in  that  he  recognized  the  spiritual  fail- 
ure involved  in  the  material  which  Nehemiah 
deplored,  and  against  which  he  made  his  protest 
Most  probably  as  Malachi  is  not  mentioned  by 
Ezra  or  Nehemiah,  he  followed  closely,  but  was 
not  contemporary  with  these  men.  He  found 
the  conditions  described  on  the  last  page  of 
inspired  history  aggravated  rather  than  removed 
when  he  began  to  exercise  his  ministry. 

It  is  very  important  that  we  should  get  into 
the  atmosphere  of  this  prophecy ;  and  the  con- 


338        THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI 

dition  of  things  generally  will  be  best  under- 
stood by  going  back  over  the  history  of  about 
a  hundred  years.  About  536  B.  C.  there  had 
been  a  return  from  Babylon  under  Zerubbabel. 
A  year  later  the  foundation  of  the  temple  was 
laid.  The  work  was  soon  abandoned.  Fifteen 
years  later  Haggai  and  Zechariah  delivered  their 
messages,  and  as  a  result  the  building  of  the 
temple  was  resumed.  Four  or  five  years  later 
the  temple  was  finished,  in  the  year  575  B.  C. 
In  458,  Ezra  went  up  to  Jerusalem  with  a  letter 
from  Artaxerxes.  In  445  Nehemiah  went  up  to 
Jerusalem,  and  accomplished  his  work.  Thus 
the  coming  of  Nehemiah  to  Jerusalem  was  about 
ninety  years  subsequent  to  the  return  from 
Babylon.  Malachi  prophesied  in  all  probability 
about  one  hundred  years  later  than  that  return, 
and  so  about  ten  years  later  than  the  period  of 
Nehemiah. 

It  would  seem  as  though  the  special  evils 
which  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  set  themselves  to 
combat  still  existed,  side  by  side  with  correct 
outward  observance.  The  people  are  seen  re- 
stored to  Jerusalem,  their  temple  built,  the  serv- 
ices of  the  temple  observed,  both  special  fasts 
and  feasts,  and  regular  seasons  of  worship. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI        339 

The  condition  of  the  people  is  revealed  by  a 
question  repeated  seven  times  in  the  course  of 
the  book. 

"  Wherein  hast  Thou  loved  us? " 

"  Wherein  have  we  despised  Thy  name?  " 

"  Wherein  have  we  polluted  Thee? " 

"  Wherein  have  we  wearied  Him  ?  " 

"  Wherein  shall  we  return  ?  " 

"  Wherein  have  we  robbed  Thee?  " 

"  Wherein  have  we  spoken  against  Thee  ?  " 

Malachi  charged  the  people  with  seven  sins, 
and  in  reply  they  said  "Wherein?"  They  did 
not  admit  that  they  had  failed,  as  he  declared 
they  had. 

The  prophecy  reveals  a  sensitive  God,  and  a 
stultified  people.  Malachi  declared  the  sensi- 
tiveness of  Jehovah,  and  charged  the  people 
with  lack  of  sensitiveness,  hardness,  callousness. 
The  people  were  not  conscious  of  their  own 
shortcoming.  They  imagined  they  were  per- 
fectly satisfying  the  Divine  heart,  and  fulfilling 
the  Divine  requirement.  The  book  presents  the 
picture  of  a  people  having  a  form,  while  they  are 
devoid  of  power;  fulfilling  all  the  external  re- 
quirements of  religion,  but  being  utterly  without 
the  internal  experience ;  maintaining  the  sacra- 
mental symbols,  while  destitute  of  the  spiritual 


340        THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI 

grace  of  which  those  symbols  should  be  the 
sign.  It  should  be  remembered  that  this  mes- 
sage was  delivered  not  to  Judah,  and  not  to 
Israel,  if  by  Israel  we  mean  the  Northern  king- 
dom. The  burden  of  the  word  of  the  Lord  was 
to  Israel.  Malachi  spoke  not  to  the  ten  tribes 
or  to  the  two ;  not  to  the  North,  or  to  the  South, 
as  in  separation  from  each  other,  but  to  the 
whole  nation.  When  these  people  had  re- 
turned from  Babylon  under  Zerubbabel,  and 
when  later  another  contingent  had  returned  in 
the  time  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  the  returning 
remnants  were  made  up  of  members  of  all  the 
tribes. 

In  the  last  book  of  the  inspired  history  of  these 
people,  the  book  of  Nehemiah,  we  saw  them 
without  a  king,  without  a  priest,  and  without 
prophet ;  and  moreover,  without  any  Messianic 
hope.  To  people  in  that  condition  Malachi  de- 
livered his  message.  As  the  book  of  Nehemiah 
was  the  last  page  of  inspired  history,  the  book 
of  Malachi  is  the  last  page  of  inspired  Hebrew 
prophecy. 

This  book  is  different  from  those  of  Haggai 
and  Zechariah.  The  first  business  of  Haggai 
was  that  of  inspiring  the  people  to  be  strong  and 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI        341 

build  the  house  of  God.  It  was  local,  practical, 
immediate,  important  The  business  of  Zechariah 
was  that  of  inspiring  the  people  to  the  selfsame 
activity ;  but  also  that  of  leading  them  to  look  at 
things  unseen.  The  master  thought  of  Malachi 
is  that  of  fellowship  with  God.  He  had  to  deal 
with  a  people  whose  glorious  history  was  that  of 
their  fellowship  with  Jehovah,  whose  shameful 
history  was  that  of  their  infidelity  to  that  fellow- 
ship. If  that  be  recognized,  we  shall  find  the 
threefold  permanent  value  of  this  book. 

It  is  first,  a  revelation  of  the  unfailing  love  of 
Jehovah.  It  is  secondly,  a  revelation  of  human 
infidelity.  It  is  finally,  a  revelation  of  the  secrets 
of  strength  in  an  age  of  failure.  Let  us  take 
these  in  order. 

First,  its  revelation  of  the  unfailing  love  of 
Jehovah.  If  we  read  this  prophecy,  listening  for 
the  master  tone  of  it,  we  shall  find  it  to  be  that  of 
love,  the  love  of  God.  Its  opening  words  are  al- 
most startling, 

"The  burden  of  the  word  of  Jehovah  to  Israel  by 
Malachi.  I  have  loved  you,  saith  Jehovah." 

That  is  the  whole  burden.  "  I  have  loved  you, 
saith  Jehovah."  Our  translation  does  not  quite 


342        THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI 

convey  all  the  forcefulness  of  the  thought.  The 
tense  employed  is  not  exactly  the  Hebrew  tense, 
nor  have  we  any  tense  that  exactly  answers  the 
Hebrew.  I  do  no  violence  to  the  declaration 
that  fell  from  the  lips  of  Malachi  if  I  render  it 
thus,  I  have  loved  you,  I  do  love  you,  I  will  love 
you,  saith  Jehovah.  It  is  a  declaration  of  the 
continuity  of  His  love.  That  is  the  opening 
statement ;  the  burden  of  the  book  is  that  of  the 
constancy  of  the  love  of  God.  God  sent  that 
message  to  His  people,  when  the  nation  was 
without  king,  priest,  or  prophet,  when  the  nation 
consisted  of  a  remnant  satisfied  with  formality 
and  lacking  power,  when  the  spokesmen  of  the 
nation  answered  the  prophet  by  denying  his 
charges,  so  callous  had  they  become.  There  was 
to  be  no  other  voice  until  the  herald  should  an- 
nounce the  Advent  of  the  King.  The  last  mes- 
sage of  Isaiah's  thunder  had  died  away.  Jere- 
miah's lamentations  were  almost  forgotten. 
Malachi,  the  last  prophet,  came  declaring,  "  I 
have  loved  you,  saith  Jehovah,"  and  right 
through  the  prophecy  that  is  the  master  note  of 
the  music.  It  rises  high  above  all  the  other 
notes.  Whether  we  listen  to  the  thunders  of 
judgment,  or  to  the  plaintive  complaint,  we  hear 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI        343 

the  great  love-song  of  Jehovah.  Malachi  charged 
the  people  with  profanity,  sacrilege,  greed,  in- 
difference ;  he  charged  them  with  perversion  of 
the  moral  order,  calling  good  evil  and  evil  good ; 
he  charged  them  with  robbing  God  in  that  they 
did  not  bring  the  whole  tithe  to  His  altars  ;  he 
charged  them  also  with  blasphemy,  in  that  they 
said,  There  is  no  value  in  serving  God.  These 
charges  reveal  in  every  case  the  consciousness  of 
love  in  the  presence  of  sin.  It  is  love  that  is 
wounded.  The  book,  therefore,  is  a  revelation  of 
the  constancy  of  love,  the  consciousness  of  love, 
and  the  courage  of  love. 

The  chief  sinfulness  of  form  without  power  is 
that  it  hurts  the  heart  of  God.  The  one  master 
note  of  the  message  which  God  sends  to  every 
age  of  failure  is  that  which  affirms  the  constancy 
of  His  love. 

Then,  in  contrast,  we  have  the  revelation  of 
human  failure.  This  prophecy  teaches  that  all 
motives  other  than  love  fail  to  produce  mainte- 
nance of  true  relationship  to  love.  It  is  possible 
to  attend  the  temple,  bend  the  knee,  and  make 
an  offering  regularly,  but  unless  there  is  love  in 
the  heart  there  is  no  communion  with  God.  To 
go  to  the  temple  merely  as  a  matter  of  duty  is  to 


344        THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI 

blaspheme.  To  carry  offerings  to  the  house  of 
God  simply  because  it  is  commanded,  is  to  be 
guilty  of  sacrilege.  There  is  only  one  motive 
sufficiently  strong  to  maintain  the  relation  be- 
tween the  heart  of  God  and  the  heart  of  man, 
and  that  is  love.  When  these  people  lost  their 
love  for  Jehovah,  all  their  religious  observances 
became  as  tinkling  brass  and  a  clanging  cymbal, 
noise  without  music. 

The  death  of  love  issues  in  callousness.  Think 
how  surprising  a  thing  it  is,  that  when  the  last 
prophet  came  with  his  message,  "  I  have  loved 
you,  saith  Jehovah,"  the  people  answered, 
"Wherein  hast  Thou  loved  us?"  That  is  the 
inspiration  of  all  sin,  and  when  we  consider  it, 
and  wonder  at  it,  we  have  no  astonishment  at 
all  the  other  charges  which  Malachi  brought 
against  these  people.  The  hour  in  which  we 
cease  to  love  God  is  the  hour  in  which  we  begin 
to  wonder  whether  God  loves  us.  Then  form  is 
robbed  of  power,  and  form  without  power  is  not 
only  useless,  it  is  paralysis,  blight,  mildew ;  and 
when  the  matchless  music  of  the  Divine  love  is 
declared  by  the  messenger  of  love,  the  formal  re- 
ligionists will  say  "  Wherein  ?  " 

There  is  yet  another  value  in  this  book.     It 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI        345 

reveals  the   secrets   of   strength    in   an  age  of 
failure. 

"Then  they  that  feared  the  Lord  spake  one  with  an- 
other :  and  the  Lord  hearkened,  and  heard,  and  a  book 
of  remembrance  was  written  before  Him,  for  them  that 
feared  the  Lord,  and  that  thought  upon  His  name." 

Here  are  revealed  the  secrets  of  strength  in  an 
age  of  failure ;  they  "  thought  upon  His  name." 
The  Hebrew  word  translated  thought  is  elsewhere 
translated  regard.  When  Paul  wrote  "  If  there 
be  any  virtue,  and  if  there  be  any  praise,  think 
on  these  things  "  he  used  the  same  Greek  word 
which  in  the  Septuagint  version  is  employed 
here,  they  "  thought  upon  His  name."  Thus  the 
Hebrew  word,  illuminated  by  the  Greek  word, 
helps  us  to  understand  what  otherwise  might  ap- 
pear a  shallow  statement.  The  Greek  word 
means  to  take  an  inventory ;  they  "  thought 
upon  His  name,"  that  is,  they  took  an  inventory 
of  the  wealth  they  had  in  His  name,  Jehovah  Jireh. 
Jehovah-nissi.  Jehovah-Shalom.  Jehovah  Tsid- 
kenu.  Jehovah  Shammah.  These  people  had 
nothing  left  to  think  of,  other  than  the  name. 
The  grandeur  of  their  nation  was  perished.  The 
prophetic  voices  were  silent.  The  priests  had 
corrupted  the  covenant.  The  kings  had  passed 


346        THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI 

away.  All  about  them  was  formality  devoid  of 
power.  But  there  was  left  them  the  real  value 
of  life.  It  was  the  name.  They  thought  upon 
His  name.  "  The  name  of  the  Lord  is  a  strong 
tower ;  the  righteous  runneth  into  it  and  is  set  on 
high."  When  the  king  has  failed,  the  priest  is 
corrupted,  and  the  prophet  is  silent;  when  the 
national  power  has  declined  and  we  are  bewail- 
ing the  failure  of  our  age,  then  let  us  think  on 
the  name,  take  an  inventory  in  the  name,  count 
it  as  our  wealth,  take  time  to  go  over  our  wealth 
in  order  to  discover  how  rich  we  are. 

Then  again  they  "spake  one  with  another." 
The  word  often  is  omitted  in  the  Revised  Ver- 
sion ;  but  sometimes  it  is  possible  to  say  less  and 
so  to  say  more.  The  speaking  together  may  be 
repeated,  but  when  we  say  they  spoke  often  we 
admit  times  of  silence.  That  is  not  what  the 
prophet  said.  He  described  constant,  continu- 
ous, unbroken  fellowship  with  each  other,  based 
on  thought  centred  upon  the  name  of  Jehovah. 

This  is  followed  by  another  unveiling,  "  The 
Lord  hearkened,  and  heard."  Both  these  words 
are  pictorial.  "  Hearkened  "  is  a  word  suggest- 
ing the  action  of  a  horse  at  the  sound  of  its 
master's  voice,  the  pricking  of  the  ears.  It  is 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI        347 

only  a  figure  of  speech.  The  horse  is  arrested 
by  the  voice  it  knows.  "  They  spake  one  with 
another,  and  the  Lord  hearkened."  "  Heard  " 
means  bending  over  patiently  listening  that  no 
syllable  may  be  missed.  When  His  people 
spake  one  with  another — not  when  they  spoke  to 
Him — Jehovah  hearkened,  and  heard.  They 
thought  on  His  name  and  talked  to  each  other 
thereof,  and  He  hearkened  and  heard.  God 
always  attends  to  the  conversation  of  those  who 
are  bound  together  by  their  loyalty  to  His  name, 
and  their  consciousness  of  the  wealth  of  their 
possessions  in  Him.  Two  or  three  of  His  people 
never  meet  together  to  speak  of  the  deep  things 
of  His  name  and  all  the  name  means  to  them, 
but  that  He  hearkens  and  hears. 

The  final  secret  is  that  of  hope  in  the  coming 
One ;  in  the  dawning  of  that  new  day  which  is 
to  have  two  effects. 

"The  day  cometh,  it  burneth  as  a  furnace;  and  all  the 
proud,  and  all  that  work  wickedness,  shall  be  stubble :  and 
the  day  that  cometh  shall  burn  them  up.  ...  But 
unto  you  that  fear  My  name  shall  the  Sun  of  righteousness 
arise  with  healing  in  His  wings." 

That  is  not  two  days,  but  one.  When  that 
day  comes,  and  the  Sun  arises,  it  will  burn  or  it 


348        THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI 

will  heal.  It  will  burn  the  plant  that  has  no 
roots  and  no  river  resources ;  but  it  will  heal  the 
tree  planted  by  the  river. 

The  present  position  of  Christendom  is  vividly 
portrayed  by  Malachi.  Let  us  draw  a  very  sharp 
line  of  distinction  between  the  Church  and  Chris- 
tendom. The  terms  are  not  synonymous.  The 
Church  consists  of  those  who  are  His  own. 
Christendom  is  the  external  appearance  in  every 
form.  Christendom  is  characterized  by  formality 
devoid  of  power.  Formality  is  not  peculiar  to 
one  section  of  the  Church.  The  form  may  not 
be  the  same.  It  may  be  stately  ritual,  or  it  may 
be  of  the  simplest.  Formality  is  the  result  of  a 
conception  that  religion  consists  in  external  ob- 
servance. To  that  condition  the  message  of 
Malachi  is :  The  day  is  coming  which  will  be  a 
day  of  healing,  or  a  day  of  burning  according  to 
the  condition  of  those  who  come  to  its  dawning. 

What  is  our  attitude  towards  that  day  ?  That 
is  the  supreme  test  of  our  position.  As  the  last 
word  of  the  Old  Testament  economy  was  a  word 
declaring  the  coming  of  that  day,  so  also  is  the 
last  word  of  the  New  Testament  economy.  The 
attitude  of  men  towards  that  day  determines 
their  ultimate  relation  thereto,  and  their  ultimate 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  MALACHI        349 

destiny.  Let  us  live,  putting  all  our  trust  in  the 
name,  in  holy  and  unbroken  fellowship  with  each 
other  around  our  possessions  therein,  waiting  for 
the  daybreak,  that  so  we  may  not  be  ashamed 
from  Him  at  His  coming. 


Printed  in  th*  United  States  of  A  meriea, 


BIOGRAPHIES 


G.  Campbell  Morgan: 
by  JOHN  HARRIES 

An  informative  record  of  the  life  and  activities 
of  a  popular  preacher,  known  equally  well  on 
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an  amazingly  full  and  useful  life  —  which,  happily, 
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Forty  Years  on  the  Labrador 
by  ERNEST  HAYES 

This  life-story  of  Sir  Wilfred  Grenfell  has  been 
writttn  to  meet  an  obvious  need.  A  consecutive 
story  of  Grenfell's  life  and  work,  told  in  brief 
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development  down  to  the  present  time. 


Dan  Crawford: 

Missionary  and  Pioneer  in  Central  Africa 
by  DR.  G.  E.  TILSLEY,  F.R.G.S. 

Jean  Kenyon  Mackenzie  says:  "Dr.  Tilsley,  a 
veteran  in  African  missions,  has  known  how  to 
embody  Dan  Crawford's  extraordinary  journals 
and  letters  in  a  rich  and  fascinating  record.  Here 
is  the  inimitable  Dan  Crawford  speaking  in  his 
own  deeply  moving  fashion  of  the  things  of 
Africa."  Fully  Illustrated,  $6  JO 

Doctor  Dillard  of  the  Jeanes  Fund 

by  BENJAMIN  BRAWLEY 

Introduction  by  Anson  Phelps  Stokes,  D.D. 

The  life  story  of  a  man  whose  name  is  a  house- 
hold word  in  the  South.  Any  study  of  Dr. 
Dillard's  career  must,  of  necessity,  entail  a  survey 
of  the  agencies  with  which  he  is  so  finely  asso- 
ciated. Illustrated,  $1.75 


BY   CHURCH   LEADERS 

Some  Living  Issues 

by  ROBERT  E.  SPEER,  DIX 

"As  refreshing  as  a  cool  breeze  on  a  sultry  day. 
Deals  with  doctrines  essential  to  the  Christian 
faith  in  a  masterly  manner,  and  is  an  immense 
asset  to  Evangelical  Christianity.  It  should  be  in 
the  hands  of  all  theological  students  and  Christian 
ministers  and  thinking  laymen,  everywhere." — 
David  G.  Wylie,  D.D.,  LL.D.  J2JO 

The  Fellowship  of  Toil 
by  JOHN  MCDOWELL,  DJX 

Dr.  McDowell  enjoys  the  confidence  of  organized 
labor,  and  for  ministers  having  to  address  them- 
selves to  labor  topics,  his  book  should  prove  a 
godsend.  $135 

The  Challenge  of  the  Changing 
by  MALCOLM  J.  MacLEOD,  D.D. 

A  series  of  stirring  addresses  in  which  present-day 
aspects  of  society,  morals  and  Christian  activities 
are  reviewed  and  analyzed  by  a  competent  and 
shrewd  observer.  Dr.  MacLeod,  moreover,  shows 
the  way  to  more  reverence  and  a  deepened  knowl- 
edge of  experiences  which  enrich  and  satisfy  the 
soul  $2.00 

Twilight  Reveries 
fcvCHARLES  L.  GOODELL,  D.D. 

"The  messages  cover  a  remarkably  wide  range  of 
human  experience  and  appeal  to  all.  Many  readers 
will  agre  that  any  one  of  more  than  half  of  these 
addresses  is  easily  worth  the  price  of  the  book."— 
Monthly  Book  Talk.  flJO 


STUDY    OF    THE    BIBLE 

The  Categorical  Imperatives 

of  the  Christian  Faith 

by  G.  CAMPBELL  MORGAN,  DIX 

Dr.  Morgan  deals  with  matters  of  Christian  faith 
and  belief  that  are  finally  assured  and  authorita- 
tive— things  which  constitute  that  faith  and  belief 
from  the  standpoint  of  intellectual  apprehension 
and  interpretation.  $1.25 

The  Bible  and  the  Ages 

by  BISHOP  HORACE  M.  DU  BOSB,  D.D. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South. 
A  noteworthy  book,  marked  by  strength,  adequate 
scholarship  and  rare  assurance,  showing  the  way 
to  a  sound,  conservative  position  regarding  the 
Scriptures.  $230 

Notes  on  the  Revelation 

by  WILLIAM  J.  ERDMAN,  D.D. 

Edited  by  Charles  R.  Erdman,  D.D. 

Conclusions  attained  after  protracted  study  of  the 
Apocalypse,  and  are  presented  without  any  admix- 
ture of  heat,  controversy  or  dogmatism,  $1.25 

Studies  of  the  Parables 
by  HENRY  T.  SELL,  DJD. 

"A  new  study  book  by  Dr.  Sell.  Invaluable  to 
teachers,  speakers,  ministers,  and  for  private  per- 
sonal study."—  Paper,  net  50c;  Cloth,  net  75c 

The  Inspiration  of  the  Bible 
by  B.  H.  CARROLL,  D.D. 
Introduction  by  George  W.  Truett,  D.D. 

A  hitherto  unpublished  book  by  a  recognized 
master  of  Biblical  exegesis  and  interpretation. 

$1.25 


EVANGELISTIC    WORK 

Twice-Born  Ministers 

by  SAMUEL  M.  SHOEMAKER,  JR. 

Author  of  "Children  of  the  Second  Birth,"  etc. 
"A  plea  for  reality  in  religion.  It  is  a  disturb- 
ing book.  It  will  cause  you  to  ask  yourself  if  you 
are  giving  men  and  women  in  sin,  sorrow  and 
difficulty  the  security  and  joy  of  a  real  experience 
in  Christ."  —  Baptist  Standard.  $130 

Out  of  the  Depthg 

by  ENSIGN  CLARENCE  W.  HALL  of  the 

Salvation  Army 

Foreword  by  Commander  Evangeline  Booth 

Is  the  day  of  miracles  past?  Must  we,  forever, 
be  pointing  to  ages  long  agone  for  verification 
of  our  faith?  Is  Christianity  grown  impotent 
with  age?  This  story  of  the  redemptive  work  of 
Henry  J.  Milan  offers  a  ringing  negative  to  these 
searching  questions.  $130. 

The  Directed  Survey  and 

Visitation  Evangelism 

by  A.  EARL  KERNAHAN,  DJX 

The  competent  director  of  Visitation  evangelistic 
campaigns,  here  adds  an  exceptionally  useful  and 
informative  manual  needed  in  the  conduct  of  a 
surveypreparatorytoacampaign.  Illustrated, 


Sheep  of  the  Outer  Fold 
by  FLORENCE  H.  TOWNE 

"Human  interest  stories  of  the  work  of  a  neigh- 
borhood house  —  stories  that  pull  the  heart  strings. 
Stories  from  life  for  use  in  religious  education 
proving  the  practical,  transforming  power  of  the 
gospel  of  love."  —  Presbyterian  Advance.  $1JOO 


ESSAYS    AND    REFLECTIONS 

The  Charm  of  Trees 

by  THOMAS  F.  DAVIES,  D.D. 

"Bishop  Davies  draws  liberally  from  his  extensive 
store  of  the  literary.  His  book  is  an  interesting 
bypath  leading  to  Bishop  Davies'  personal  philos- 
ophy of  life;  a  bypath  which  takes  one  through 
fragrant  woodlands,  over  lush  meadows  and  be- 
side the  peaceful  shores  of  lake  and  stream." — 
Springfield  Union.  Illustrated,  SI  JO 

For  Average  Christians 

by  HAROLD  B.  SHEPHEARD,  MA. 

The  problems  of  personal  wealth,  privilege,  com- 
petition and  kindred  characteristics  of  the  present 
age  and  the  religion  of  Jesus.  A  thoughtful,  stim- 
ulating book,  exhibiting  much  fresh  and  sugges- 
tive thinking  on  the  part  of  its  author.  $135 

The  Radiant  Life 

by  JOHN  S.  BUNTING 

Introduction  by  Joseph  Fort  Newton,  DJD. 

A  book  which,  as  Dr.  Newton  says,  "is  wise  with 
a  wisdom  that  is  gentle,  and  overbrooded  by  a 
spirit  of  serenity."  Throughout  the  author  is  con- 
cerned with  the  factors  which  minister  to  the 
heart  and  feed  the  springs  of  the  spiritual  life. 

$130 

Trie  Spirit  of  Piney  Woods 
by  LAURENCE  C.  TONES 

Addresses  delivered  by  Principal  Jones  to  the 
students  of  Piney  Woods  School.  Although  brief, 
they  are  eminently  practical  in  character  and  ex- 
hibit throughout  an  authentic  common  sense. 


BIBLE     CHARACTERS 

Parallel  Lives  of  the  Old 

and  New  Testament 

by  CLARENCE  E.  MACARTNEY,  D&. 

"Some  twenty-six  of  the  great  heroes  of  the 
Church,  including  Augustine,  Savonarola,  John 
Huss,  Calvin,  Knox,  Arminius,  George  Muller 
and  Dwight  L.  Moody  portrayed  in  brief,  well- 
written,  carefully  balanced  sketches." — Sunday 
School  Times.  $1.75 

CHURCH      HISTORY 

The  Beacon  Lights  of  Faith 
by  C.  F.  WTMBERLEY,  D.D. 

Twenty-eight  studies:  The  Early  Fathers;  Wyclif ; 
Cranmer;  Latimer;  Luther;  Calvin;  the  French 
Huguenots;  Knox;  Bunyan;  Wesley;  Edwards; 
Wesley;  Livingstone;  Asbury;  Booth,  etc.,  etc. 

$130 

The  Church  of  the  Living  God: 

A  Study  in  Church  History 

by  WM.  ROBERT  POLHAMUS,  S.T.D. 

An  excellent  survey  which,  in  addition  to  being 
an  admirably  sketched  record  of  the  Christian 
Church  and  centuries,  throbs  with  human  life  and 
interest.  $1.50 

Chapters  in  Church  History 
by  JOHN  W.  WAYLAND,  Ph.D. 

Specially  prepared  as  a  textbook  for  classes  taking 
a  brief  course  in  the  history  of  the  Christian 
Church,  for  individual  students  (Sunday  school 
teachers  and  others)  and  for  the  general  reader. 


THE  LIBRARY 
I  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

Santa  Barbara 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW. 


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1989 

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RET'D  DEC  2  01989 


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CHECKED  IN    JW  25  '90  1 


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